Once all the 22 academies are established, IHG train some 4,500 students at a time. 

IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) is tackling the war for talent in China head on. Two years after opening its first IHG Academy, an industry-leading training institute, in Shanghai, the company has announced that it will nearly double the number of IHG Academy locations to 22 from the current 12.

The largest international hotel operator in China recently signed partnerships with several leading tourism institutions in the key cities of Nanjing and Hangzhou in eastern China. These 10 new IHG training facilities will cater to an area with a population of nearly 150 million people, training local talent in a variety of hospitality-related fields and subsequently offering them employment within IHG's growing portfolio of hotels.

The first IHG Academy was established in June 2006 in Shanghai, to address the demand for trained talent in China's rapidly-growing hospitality industry. Since then, the IHG Academy has grown rapidly across China and attracted significant interest from young people interested in pursuing a career in China's burgeoning hospitality industry.

The IHG Academy will be able to accommodate up to 4,500 students at any one time, once all 22 locations are up and running, Each IHG Academy offers a selection of certification and diploma programmes that combine theoretical sessions, lectures by IHG executives and internship exposure at IHG's hotels. Each year, approximately 2,000 IHG Academy graduates are offered employment opportunities at IHG hotels across China under the InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express brands.

"IHG has been operating in China for 24 years. As an industry leader in this important market, it is our responsibility to proactively contribute to the growth and development of China's hospitality industry," said Edmond Ip, chief operating officer, IHG Greater China. "Finding the right people is challenging, but it is the key to our success. As such, we are committed to delivering world-class people development initiatives and practices to enrich the local talent pool."

Ip added that IHG is growing at a faster pace than ever in China, with 32,000 employees across the country. The company's aggressive expansion plan means it will need to recruit another 20,000 new employees across China by the end of this year. The expansion of the IHG Academy will help IHG build a renewable pool of skilled, well-trained talent.

Established in China since 1984, IHG is today the largest international hotel operator in the Greater China region with nearly 90 hotels open and more than 100 hotels in the pipeline. In the Yangtze River Delta region, where the 10 new training facilities will be located, IHG operates 20 hotels and has 33 new hotels under development.

IHG Academy - Milestones

• June 2006 – Launch of first IHG Academy in Shanghai, in collaboration with Shanghai University and two leading Australian education providers, William Angliss Institute and Box Hill Institute.
• Throughout 2007 – IHG Academy further expands to five cities with the signing of another 10 partner schools in Chongqing, Jinan, Shunde and Zhengzhou.
• March 2008 – Expansion of the IHG Academy to Shenzhen, the first to partner with
  an undergraduate university and first to offer bachelor's programme.
• June 2008 – First group of IHG Academy students graduate in Shanghai. IHG Academy adds 10 new partner schools in Nanjing and Hangzhou, bringing the total number of IHG Academy locations to 22.

Students of IHG Academy will be part of the IHG hotel service team during the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.