Scottish Apprenticeship in Hospitality Handover Event
The Scottish Apprenticeship in Hospitality (SAH) is a world-class, industry-led Hospitality Apprenticeship programme. The Scottish Apprenticeship in Hospitality’s aim is to nurture, develop and inspire the next generation of highly skilled talent for the Scottish hospitality industry.
The programme offers a route to gaining a qualification alongside practical experience in some of Scotland’s leading hotels.
Yesterday Blythswood Square Hotel hosted the SAH handover event, for the third group of apprentices. The handover event allows apprentices to reflect on their first six months on the programme where they worked within Housekeeping. We heard from apprentices on their journey so far and also looked forward to the next six month rotation as they begin their journey within Food and Beverage departments.
The apprentices took to the floor to present on their first six months in housekeeping:
Joe Posnett, SAH Apprentice, Apex Edinburgh. “It would have been impossible to do it without the support from the management team in Apex. I have cleaned 1,680 rooms, if we added up all of the apprentice rooms it would be an incredible number! I now understand that housekeepers are the backbone of the sanitation, the safety, the comfort and the aesthetics of the whole hotel. We do rely on housekeepers, there is no denying that it was hard work but I have absolutely enjoyed it.”
If you were asked back to your school to talk to pupils about different routes / careers, what advice would you give? (Danny Logue, SDS)
Eve Grierson, SAH Apprentice, St Andrew Old Course. “It would be such a good idea for us, as apprentices, to go into schools and speak to pupils about apprenticeships. They will be able to relate to us much more.”
How have you grown as individuals over the last 6 months? (Robert Allan, Apex)
Alex Carson, SAH Apprentice, Sheraton Grand Hotel, Edinburgh. “I have definitely matured over the last 6 months, I have become more independent and have more confidence in asking for help”
We then heard from Laura Dunphy, Salon, Lounge and Bar manager at the Blythswood Square Hotel, Glasgow. Laura spoke to the SAH apprentices about her own journey and what would be expected from them within Food and Beveridge.
Laura, The Salon Bar manager – “F&B is always challenging and hard work, you need to care about what you do but it is so rewarding. The differences you can make to surprise and delight guests when they come in, it’s just amazing the things that we can do. You have got the opportunity to really make things special for our guests which is why F&B is so exciting.”
Finally, we heard from Danny Logue, Director of Operations, Skills Development Scotland who spoke to the apprentices about their responsibilities as role models for the industry.
“Skills Development Scotland spend about £75 million every year supporting between 26,000 – 27,000 young people, and adults, across 84/85 different modern apprenticeship frameworks.
The Scottish Apprenticeship in Hospitality programme is very much a benchmark for how MA programmes should run across Scotland.
Every school should have an apprenticeship ambassador, it is not someone like me, it is about getting young people in to talk about what it means to follow the route of an apprenticeship.
This particular programme needs to be looked at right across the sector in terms of the benefits it has brought to yourselves (apprentices) and to your employers.
This year Skills Development Scotland have supported around 3,000 apprentices in the hospitality sector. Hospitality is a growing sector, there is a demand and need for skills. That is why you, as future leaders and workers, have a great responsibility as role models for the industry.”
