TFE Hotels’ Academe Sets New Benchmark for Higher Education Pathways

As technology reshapes the hotel workplace, TFE Hotels is giving greater recognition to the distinctly  human capabilities needed to lead through change. Building on more than a decade of investment in leadership  development, TFE Hotels has become the first hotel group in Australia and New Zealand to create a pathway for  workplace-developed leadership and human capabilities to be recognised through higher education. 

The initiative follows the formal accreditation of TFE Hotels’ Future Leaders Program (FLP) and People Leaders  Program (PLP), which are now recognised for university credit through eight Australian universities and higher  education providers.* In partnership with Capability.Co, these ACADEME programs have been independently  reviewed and assured against the Working Futures™ Human Capability Standards. 

Through TFE Hotels’ award-winning ACADEME leadership program, Edina has developed capabilities increasingly valued in modern workplaces,  including leadership, communication, problem-solving and the ability to inspire high-performing teams.

The accreditation recognises capabilities developed through workplace leadership experience, including  communication, collaboration, adaptability, problem-solving, creativity, ethical judgement and leadership. These  transferable capabilities are increasingly valuable as workplaces adapt to technological change and the growing  use of artificial intelligence.

Capability.Co Chief Executive Officer Tara Jacobsen said AI was bringing the value, and absence, of human  capability into sharper focus. 

“What AI is doing isn't just replacing human capability, it's accentuating where workforces and organisations  don't have human capability and are not valuing it.” 

Jacobsen said human capability was what made people future-ready, with demonstrated capabilities such as  communication, trust, judgement, adaptability, problem-solving and leading through change helping people  adapt and respond as work changed. 

“I've worked with many clients, big and small, big brands across Australia, but the level of commitment shown by  the TFE leadership team to get this amazing opportunity off the ground and to recognise what you've done is  unparalleled,” she said. 

Antony Ritch, Chief Executive Officer of TFE Hotels, said the company’s success had always been built on its  people, with leadership one of its most important competitive advantages. 

“Buildings, brands and technology all matter, but it’s our people who bring hospitality to life,” Ritch said. “Strong,  empowered leaders create the conditions for memorable guest experiences. They build engaged teams, invite  new ideas and give people the confidence to grow.

“That’s why ACADEME matters. It reflects our commitment to developing future-focused leaders who can help us  reimagine hospitality across our people, products and platforms.” 

CASE STUDY: RAMINDA PALLIYAWATTAGE, HOBART 

For Raminda Palliyawattage, the journey to hospitality leadership started thousands of kilometres away in Sri  Lanka. Hospitality was never just a career choice. Growing up around hotels and spending time in hotel lobbies as  a child sparked a passion that has stayed with him ever since.  

Now Front Office Manager at Vibe Hobart, Palliyawattage studied software engineering and computer science  before completing a Master’s degree in Information Systems and Business Analytics. After working in pubs and the  gaming industry, he relocated to Hobart in 2021 and began building a long-term career in accommodation. 

Today, Palliyawattage credits TFE Hotels’ People Leaders Program with helping expand both his understanding of  hospitality and his leadership capability. As part of the program, he undertook a project focused on integrating  data from across the hotel’s systems to improve reporting, forecasting and operational decision-making in areas  ranging from staffing and rostering to revenue and guest demand planning.

Recently promoted to Front Office Manager, Palliyawattage said the new university pathway had encouraged him  to continue learning. 

“This might be motivation to get another qualification because this is an industry I'm planning to stay in,” he said. 

CASE STUDY: EDINA BEHLULOVIC, MELBOURNE 

Edina Behlulovic’s career journey highlights the opportunities hospitality can create for people willing to keep  learning. Originally trained in finance and accounting, Behlulovic explored commercial cookery and hospitality  management before joining TFE Hotels. She progressed through a series of kitchen leadership roles and now leads  the culinary team as Executive Chef at The Savoy Hotel on Little Collins Melbourne. 

Alongside her operational responsibilities, she completed TFE Hotels’ People Leaders Program, which helped her  build relationships across the business and strengthen her confidence as a leader. 

The university pathway now provides formal recognition of the workplace-developed capabilities she has built  through the program and throughout her career, including commercial decision-making, people leadership,  problem-solving and communication. 

“I don’t think I’m ever going to stop searching for what’s next,” she said. “I can see the opportunities.” 

Graduates receive portable digital credentials that verify the capabilities they have demonstrated. Through  Capability.Co’s university and higher education partners, these credentials may also provide university credit  through participating institutions including Torrens University Australia, James Cook University, Adelaide  University, University of Southern Queensland, University of New England, Charles Darwin University, University  of Newcastle and William Angliss Institute. 

The collaboration also creates a higher education pathway for People Leaders Program participants who  successfully complete all four advanced credentials. Eligible participants can apply for Torrens University  Australia’s Graduate Certificate of Applied Management, with prior workplace learning and demonstrated  capability considered under the university’s approved academic processes. TFE Hotels will also sponsor the  qualification for eligible participants who remain actively employed by the organisation. 

Since launching in 2012, more than 330 team members have graduated from ACADEME, with 45 alumni now  working as Hotel General Managers or Assistant Hotel Managers across TFE Hotels’ global portfolio. More than 70  leaders contribute annually as facilitators, mentors and coaches. The most recent program data also shows 86 per  cent of recent graduates have been promoted, highlighting the role ACADEME plays in strengthening TFE’s  leadership pipeline. 

Accommodation Australia CEO James Goodwin said the initiative reflected the kind of thinking needed to build  the nation’s hospitality workforce. 

“This is the kind of innovation we need to attract, develop and retain great people and it comes at the perfect  time for our industry,” Goodwin said. “This is one example of how we can increase our focus on training local  workers to fill our chronic workforce shortages.”

“This is a practical way of helping people build their skills and qualifications while continuing to work.” 

The accreditation follows national recognition for TFE Hotels’ People Leaders Program, which received the  Excellence Award for Best Leadership Development Program at the 2025 Australian Institute of Training and  Development Awards. 

*Pathways are subject to each institution’s requirements. University and higher education partners include: Torrens University Australia, James Cook University, Adelaide University, University of Southern Queensland,  University of New England, Charles Darwin University, University of Newcastle, and William Angliss Institute. 

Academe

A cornerstone of TFE Hotels’ people strategy for more than a decade, the award-winning program combines  workplace learning, coaching, mentoring, and business-led projects to help team members build the capabilities  needed to thrive in leadership roles. 

Under the framework and subject to each institution’s requirements: 

• Graduates of the Future Leaders Program may receive credit equivalent to up to four undergraduate  subjects. 

• Graduates of the People Leaders Program may receive credit equivalent to up to four postgraduate  subjects. 

• Eligible PLP participants can apply via the pathway to the Graduate Certificate of Applied Management. 

• Additional benefits may include tuition discounts and credit towards future study. 

More about Capability.Co 

Capability.Co is an Australian human capability development, recognition, and pathways provider. It assesses the  capabilities people demonstrate through work and learning, such as leadership, adaptability, and communication,  and turns them into portable, verified credentials recognised against the Working Futures™ Human Capability  Standards.  

For employers, that gives development already underway formal recognition and a connection to further  education and career progression, supporting attraction, retention and mobility. 

TFE Hotels acknowledges the traditional owners of the lands we conduct business upon and pays our respects to  Elders past, present, and emerging. We respect the Country itself, including its trees, animals, spirits, waters, skies,  stars, and special sites. https://www.tfehotels.com/