Colleagues reach for the skies with Building Futures

23 Jan 2020

Sixteen staff from across Hospitality and Events recently celebrated completing their Level 2 and 3 apprenticeships, three of whom achieved a distinction

Their graduation ceremony was attended by Patrick Hackett, Registrar, Secretary and Chief Operating Officer, Diana Hampson, Director of Estates and Facilities, and Alison Shedlock, Head of Hospitality and Events.

Alison said “We’re incredibly proud of our team and what they’ve achieved, we’re always keen to support colleagues in their own development and the Building Futures scheme enables us to do just that.”

The apprentices were also keen to share their positive experience:

• “I gained a professionally recognised qualification, which has improved my self-development within my current role, especially enjoyed the IT side of the course which was really interesting.” - Kemi Karim, Hospitality Services Assistant
• “I enjoyed the course so much, as I feel I bettered myself and gained a qualification.” - Lauren Hayes, Hospitality Services Supervisor 
• “I have completed the Building Futures course which I passed with distinction. When I started the course, I was very apprehensive because I was a 61-year-old woman who had been out of the education system for over 45 years. But with the backing from the University and an excellent teacher I did it. I feel a great sense of achievement and I believe other people would benefit from doing it. Knowing what I know now, I would do it all again.” - Julie O’Neill, Hospitality Services Supervisor 

More information on Building Futures

Building Futures was developed to target the University apprenticeship levy towards frontline staff working in Professional Services. 

Building Futures within Hospitality & Events is a scheme delivering apprenticeships for hospitality team member, commis chef and hospitality supervisor.  The first two are both Level 2 apprenticeships (equivalent to GCSE standard) and the third is a Level 3 apprenticeship (equivalent to A Level standard). 

Prior to starting, Dr Gail Hebson, Senior Lecturer in Employment Studies within AMBS gained funding to conduct a study on the Building Futures programme.

Her research uncovered these benefits for taking up a Building Futures apprenticeship: 

• An opportunity to access wider knowledge about the hospitality sector and the business that staff work in.  This knowledge helped staff put their work in context.
• An opportunity to gain a formal qualification. This was particularly useful for staff who missed educational opportunities earlier in their lives
• An opportunity to gain a qualification that may lead to improved career and pay prospects.  This was particularly important for some of the younger staff for whom this was their first real job.
• An opportunity to develop employability skills such as maths, English and IT skills.  The apprenticeship was a chance to show that staff had good, transferable ‘functional skills’.
• A way for staff to build personal confidence and a sense of achievement through lifelong learning.  This was an unexpected and welcome benefit particularly to older members of staff who had not been in education for a while.
• An opportunity to learn new hands-on skills that make their work more interesting.