Warwickshire Skills Hub

"...having a combined panel drawn from local authority, industry and education was a big factor in its success."

Young people received some great insights into the appeal of a career in the hospitality sector during the first My Hospitality World Warwickshire campaign.

The campaign, co-organised by Warwickshire County Council, delivered a series of events around the county between February 27 and March 5.

Like many sectors, the hospitality industry faces ongoing recruitment problems with young people in 2019 facing more career options than ever before.

That means that employers need to be proactive about recruitment - and many got involved with the My Hospitality World Warwickshire Campaign to speak directly to young people.  

Among businesses to host events was the Stratford Manor Hotel, where the campaign was launched.

Joanne Hammick, general manager of Stratford Manor and a member of the steering group behind My Hospitality World Warwickshire, said: "When I was first introduced to the concept of My Hospitality World, I welcomed the opportunity to contribute to the campaign and even more so to help shape its contents and be an industry voice.

"The workshops were a great success, myself and the teams involved really enjoyed having direct interaction with pupils. The campaign not only allowed us to share our opportunities but also created relationships with two local schools, which I really value and will build on in future months.

"I would like to thank Warwickshire County Council for their investment in the sector and bringing together a project team to drive the campaign forward. I believe that having a combined panel drawn from local authority, industry and education was a big factor in its success as the panel gave consideration to every aspect of the campaign's delivery.  I have already pledged my and the hotel's support for the next campaign and look forward to encouraging other businesses to join us in our quest to inspire future talent."

The project's number one objective was to get young people engaged with the hospitality sector - and that was emphatically achieved judging by feedback from the schools involved.

Pupils and staff alike from Shipston High School, who visited Stratford Manor, were inspired by the presentations by the hotel.

Louise Moorman, careers leader at Shipston High School, said: "We had a fantastic day at Stratford Manor as part of the My Hospitality World Warwickshire campaign. It was really inspiring to the students and staff and the event was really enjoyable.

"The students had a lovely time and thoroughly enjoyed themselves but, more importantly, the event achieved exactly what was intended."

Year 9 student Isabelle Webley said: "The hotel manager showed us a film about the hospitality industry,we couldn’t believe how many opportunities there are. It was very inspiring and taught us that there are many people behind the scenes that you don’t see during your stay at the hotel. These are the people that create your enjoyable stay."

My Hospitality World Warwickshire was organised by a steering group comprising Joanne Hammick, Nicholas Brosnan (Proactive Education), David Lennox (The Careers and Enterprise Company), Lisa Redding (Eden Hotel Collection) and Fay Winterburn (Business Skills Advisor at Warwickshire County Council).

Lisa Redding, speaking at the Arden Hotel(Stratford)who hosted an Afternoon Tea Masterclass said: "We are immensely proud to have been part of this exciting initiative. The opportunity to welcome teachers, students and parents into our hotels enabled us to really showcase our exciting industry.

"There are many misconceptions around careers in hospitality despite the vast scope of opportunities and the ability to progress at a young age. Engaging with local schools and colleges must be a key priority for all hospitality employers to enable us to inspire the next generation."

Fay Winterburn said: "The campaign was a great success.Wevisitedtheevents and were delighted to see first-hand the impact the workshops were having on those participating.

"We watched various hotel employees put so much energy and enthusiasm into telling their career story and bringing the industry opportunities to life.

"Thank you to everyone who supported and took part in the campaign. Having engaged with over 200 pupils, we are keen to now develop a wider programme for 2020 and will look forward to sharing more of this very soon."