On a national scale, the hospitality industry is extremely valuable to the British economy. Restaurants, hotels and entertainment venues are all required in even the smallest of towns. The hospitality industry touches almost every sector and every business, catering to both locals and tourists and contributing billions to the UK economy every year, making it one of the biggest and most important industries in the country.
The courses provided by institutes up and down the country are there to aid students step into the working world — as this industry is known for generously recruiting new talent. So, how are colleges and universities helping to prepare people for the hospitality industry?
On the ground experience
For those participating in vocational training, they’ll benefit from routes into real life work experience which will prepare them for their future careers. When T-Levels are introduced next year, work placements will form a mandatory part of every course.
For example, students on these courses could get the opportunity to work on big events that will give them an insight into the real working world. A study by UCAS revealed that two-thirds of employers look for graduates who have relevant work experience as this helps them prepare for work life and develop general business awareness.
Extraordinary opportunities
If you love friendly competition, students are able to put their skills to the test and battle it out with other colleges.
It allows students to work in real-life kitchen conditions too, where customers are relying on them to deliver. Students can often be put forward to take part in both regional and national competitions to help them showcase their talents.
Industry connections
Those who deliver these courses have likely spent a lot of their career working in the industry itself, so they’re very valuable assets to colleges. Not only can they offer their own expertise, but they can bring in guest lecturers from the industry to offer masterclasses in their specialisms.
As well as this, inviting guest lecturers to speak can widen the expertise within a college cause and offer new and exciting insight. Research has found that this helps them build important connections between their on-site learning and the real world, with the guest speaker able to offer a different perspective on the subject.
State-of-the-art facilities
It’s important for students to have the opportunity to immerse themselves into what their actual working environment will be like in the future — and that’s why state-of-the-art facilities are required in 2019. For example, the latest Newcastle College Ofsted report praised both its partnerships with employers and it’s standard of facilities, both of which help students develop the work-related skills they need whilst learning in an industry environment.
The College itself has invested £45,000 into their new patisserie kitchen which gained them Centre of Excellence status.
Hospitality is a lucrative industry, and college course are delivering significantly. If you’re thinking of getting into the hospitality trade, look up courses at your local college for experiences which will prepare you for a demanding career and help you stand out from the crowd.