This year, places will be offered to two or three recent graduates of hospitality-related courses.

The main requirements are that they have a service-orientated attitude and the passion to develop a career in the industry.

The programme essentially consists of job rotations to all the operations departments, including sales and marketing and communications.

Director of human resources Alice Yeung said there were also opportunities to complete special projects, make presentations and participate in activities such as acting as a master of ceremonies for staff parties and special events.

'Trainees learn as they work and understand more about the key focuses of the hotel,' Ms Yeung said.

Management trainee Sandy Yau hopes one day to be a trainer. 'I want to experience every part of the hotel, so I can teach and organise something for them,' she said.

The highlights of the programme for her included the chance to co-operate with other people while working towards one goal.

'For the first month I was in housekeeping and knew nothing; it was tiring and a little scary,' she said. 'But after a week, I got used to it. Passion for industry is important and you gain a lot of experience.'

She found one of the biggest challenges was adapting quickly to the requirements of a different department after a job rotation.

The long-term goal for Jordy Chan, who joined as a trainee in July 2004, is to become director of marketing. Completing the programme helped him identify his strengths and interests more precisely. He is now a marketing group co-ordinator and looking to work his way up.

He said the hotel industry was one where practical experience counted for a lot. New situations would arise and there would be some guest complaints, but it was usually possible to deal with these by thinking back to similar cases. He said that every day was different and would introduce certain problems which demanded quick and efficient action.

'You cannot forecast who is going to call you or what complaints, comments or inquiries you will receive,' said Mr Chan, adding that it was important not to get emotional, especially when dealing with guests.

Each trainee was expected to take their turn doing the hotel's basic operations.

Some ambitious types might initially question the need to do housekeeping duties, laundry or work in the flower shop, but it is all part of learning what makes the business tick.

'You are given broad exposure to every position, but this can be frustrating,' Mr Chan said.

'You must be patient because this will pay dividends later.'

He advised trainees to recognise the importance of humility, hinting that recent graduates often arrived thinking they knew everything.

It was vital to understand that each member of staff had different responsibilities, all of them necessary for the successful running of the hotel.

Ms Yau emphasised the importance of having the right attitude and not being too aggressive.

'Try to build relationships and be willing to learn,' she said.

'The most difficult thing is human relationships. If you can handle this aspect, your path will be smoother.'

For Keith Chan, who is halfway through the programme, the best part has been the awareness training which concentrates on the InterContinental brand and corporate culture. This is a voluntary class and it aims to ensure the delivery of the brand's promises and services to all guests.

He said that the main programme was very well structured, but he was always keen to grab extra opportunities to learn.

These included external seminars, supplementary language classes and courses on business writing.

'You need to take every chance to get valuable exposure on other aspects not included in the original programme,' he said.