Hospitality – at your service!

A brief guide for young people considering a career in this vibrant, growing industry.

By Hazel Murray

Gone are the days of stiff, formal service in restaurants. The hospitality industry is jam-packed with colourful individuals who are determined to give their customers an experience worthy of a five-star Expedia review. Top notch service and unbeatable expertise are taking to the metaphorical stage in today’s quick-judging society.

Looking beyond bed-changing and wine-pouring, you can aspire to anything from hotel management to events planning and beyond. There are numerous opportunities on offer and with such opportunities come amazing life experiences; enabling you to enhance transferable skills in an industry which changes on a daily basis.

There are a variety of routes into the hospitality sector, whether it’s via an apprenticeship or a degree. The Hospitality Guild is just one organisation dedicated to ensuring that the highest standards are upheld, uniting 23 of the leading hospitality associations and helping people find the perfect apprenticeship to set them on their way to a dream job in hospitality. Apprenticeships are a fantastic way to earn money whilst learning a skill and most tend to have less stringent entry requirements than A-levels or degrees.

As a growing sector in an economic climate where many other industries are cutting back their workforces, it appears that within the next seven years the hospitality industry is likely to recruit an additional 660,200 people. Hospitality has some of the youngest managers you’ll find anywhere and many of these entered the industry with few qualifications and worked their way up. Many companies also offer on-the-job training which can make a huge difference to an employee’s progress. The Hospitality Guild’s website (www.hospitalityguild.co.uk) provides a service that allows you to take a personality test in order to find the right career for you, with advice on what training is expected and what that training could lead to.

Levels of entry can vary, depending on the area you hope to get into or at which level you want to enter the industry – for example, at sixteen it is possible to study

A -levels or foundation courses at college, which are ideal for people hoping to skip the degree route and get stuck into their careers as soon as possible. Reading College is just one place which offers foundation and BTEC courses and can also provide students with cookery or food and beverage apprenticeships. To join one of its catering and hospitality foundation courses, qualifications are not necessary as these one-year courses will provide basic training and prepare you for the next step into the industry.

University is another increasingly sought after pathway into the industry. Ben Bushell, who studies Hospitality Business Management BA (Hons) at University College Birmingham, is setting his sights high after he graduates. “The course is basically preparing me for management and ownership. However, a lot of what I learn I can apply to a job anywhere, so it is very useful”.

Currently doing a placement year, Ben is working at a hotel in the USA – an opportunity which he believes is not only the best experience he has ever had but may also give him a head-start when it comes to getting a job. With a course that is teaching him everything from designing hotel room atmospheres to food safety, his outlook is positive. “I would always recommend going into the hospitality industry. There’s a lot less disposable income out there now, but people still dine out regularly and go on holiday”.

Accredited by the Institute of Hospitality, Ben’s is a four-year course which includes a compulsory one year industry placement and requires 240 UCAS tariff points with GCSE English A-C grades or equivalent.

Hospitality jobs are some of the most social and vibrant jobs out there today, but the work can be fast-paced and requires dedication and a proven willingness to work hard. Work experience is a great way to find out whether the hospitality industry is a serious option for you and will give you a taste of the industry which no college course could offer. For employers, work experience shows a higher level of dedication and a good understanding of what is expected in the workplace.

For more information on careers in hospitality visit the Hospitality Guild’s website:
www.hospitalityguild.co.uk