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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to profile the Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes theme issue “The way forward: how is Malaysian hospitality and tourism education working with industry?” with reference to the experiences of the theme editors and writing team. Design/methodology/approach Structured questions were used to enable the theme editors to reflect on the rationale for the theme issue question, the starting point, the selection of the writing team and material and the editorial process. Findings Malaysia’s hospitality and tourism industry is facing an acute shortage of skilled employees, accentuated by the fact that jobs in the industry are not broadly appealing to Malaysians. Practical implications The hospitality and tourism industry in Malaysia wants to employ graduates with a professional attitude and mindset, and to secure this objective, a greater focus on work-based learning is needed. Originality/value The paper draws on discussion and applied research to explore the hospitality and tourism industry–education collaboration in Malaysia and the ways in which employability and retention can be enhanced by a greater emphasis on work-based learning.

Rugby League (RL) is an intermittent, collision, invasion game, played internationally at professional, semi-professional and amateur level. The physiological attributes required for RL performance include, aerobic and anaerobic power, speed, acceleration, momentum, change of direction speed (CODS), strength, power and technical skill. Professional clubs operating in the Super League, develop academy players, as a method of talent development. However, not all players make the transition to senior, professional status, frequently required to leave this environment and participate at the semi-professional level. This study sought to better understand the physiological differences between these two levels, affording a better understanding of the career transition faced by academy graduates. The variables of examination were unilateral leg strength, strength symmetry, linear and change of direction speed. It was hypothesised that there would be significant differences between all variables. Rugby league players (n = 50), recruited from three different clubs, were used to investigate the physiological differences in unilateral leg strength and speed, both linear and COD. Tests of unilateral leg strength (rear foot elevated split squat 5RM, Helme et al, ePUB) and speed (20m sprint, modified 5-0-5 test) were separated by 48 hours. A magnitude based decision approach was used to determine between group differences in all variables measured. Semi-professional players were significantly heavier (+7kg, p =0.03, possibly moderate difference) than academy players, but there was no difference in height. No significant differences between groups in unilateral leg strength, either in absolute load or relative to body mass, nor was there any difference in strength symmetry. Analysis of linear sprint speed identified no differences between academy and semi-professional players between 0 and 10m, of a 20m sprint, however, between 10and 20m academy players had a possibly moderately higher mean velocity (7.57m/s vs 7.7m/s, p =0.35). Despite the difference in body mass no significant differences in momentum was observed. There were no significant differences between either group for change of direction speed or change of direction deficit. Academy and Semi-professional players exhibit comparable qualities with respect to unilateral leg strength, speed and change of direction ability. Such findings suggest that a career transition from academy to semi-professional Rugby League is an appropriate step, from a physiological perspective. However anthropometrically, the differences in body mass between groups suggests that such progression may not be so advantageous. Whilst both groups have equitable abilities, semi-professional players can perform these tasks at a significantly larger body mass, which is beneficial in collision sports. It should be concluded then, that in the transition to exit academy rugby league environments players should be focused on a strategy to simultaneously develop speed and change of direction ability, whilst accumulating greater lean body mass.

Functional variability has been suggested to reflect movement automaticity. To test this hypothesis, we used the Uncontrolled Manifold (UCM) approach to operationalize functional variability in darts. We gauged the association between movement automaticity and functional variability in four different ways. First, we investigated whether functional variability was higher in the second half of a throw than in the first half, because the duration of a darts throw is too short for conscious control to intervene. Second, we compared whether functional variability was higher in experts than in novices, because motor control is presumed to be more automatized in experts. Third, we manipulated conscious control via attentional focus instructions, presuming that internal focus instructions result in reduced automaticity, and thus may decrease functional variability. Fourth, we administered the Movement Specific Reinvestment Scale (MSRS), which estimates the propensity for conscious control and was therefore expected to be associated with functional variability. In line with the hypotheses, functional variability was higher in the second half than in the first half of darts throws. Furthermore, experts displayed more functional variability than novices. These results suggest that functional variability reflects movement automaticity. However, neither the focus manipulations, nor MSRS scores significantly predicted functional variability. Further study is therefore required to ascertain whether functional variability reflects movement automaticity.