Get your start in hospitality with an apprenticeship
Careers in hospitality are heating up – are you ready to get your foot in the door?
Hospitality employs over 1.5 million people in the UK, making it the ideal stepping stone to several exciting careers. Whether you’re interested in hotel management, becoming a professional chef or even beer brewing, there will always be a space for you in the hospitality industry.
Search Hospitality Apprenticeships
The basics.
If you are passionate about attention to detail, customer service and learning new and valuable skills, a hospitality apprenticeship might be just the thing for you. It is a very hands-on industry that values experience over academia, which is why an apprenticeship provides you with the right real-world skills to succeed.
Hospitality is also an extremely broad industry – event spaces, hotels, restaurants, bars, tourism and more all sit under this umbrella. Not sure what kind of job you want? Don’t worry – hospitality has a bit of everything.
Competition can be fierce for apprenticeships, but they’re worth fighting for if you want to hit the ground running in the world of hospitality.
Let’s take a look at what’s new, what’s hot and what’s trending in hospitality jobs and apprenticeships.
Types of Hospitality Apprenticeships
Chef Apprenticeships
Chefs are responsible for putting exceptional food on the table for every guest. It is a high-pressure job that involves maintaining quality across hundreds of plates every day. Other daily tasks include maintaining health & safety and food standards requirements.
The kitchen has a clear hierarchy, so you could progress to a head chef position in the future.
Event Management
Most hospitality venues will run events to earn extra revenue, such as hosting weddings, parties and exhibitions. As an event manager, you’ll make sure everything runs smoothly, from the initial planning stages right through to the big day. This is a varied role that involves knowledge of marketing, product management and negotiation skills – after all, you’ll be juggling the expectations of different suppliers and clients.
Restaurant Manager
There are a lot of moving parts in a restaurant, but every team member has the same goal: to deliver an exceptional customer experience. The restaurant manager oversees everything from food quality and health and safety to customer service and sales. It is a challenging and dynamic role that requires you to juggle multiple plates at once (excuse the pun), so this job is ideal for calm people who are great at making decisions.
Housekeeping
Housekeeping teams are frequently seen in hotels and larger hospitality venues. As a member of the housekeeping department, you will ensure the establishment’s quality, cleanliness and tidiness. You will usually work in shifts or rotas, requiring you to work quickly and maintain excellent organisational skills.
Entry requirements?
Each apprenticeship has its own entry requirements depending on the level and type of job. As a minimum, you’ll need GCSEs in English and Maths at grade 4 or above; other qualifications are a huge bonus.
Emotional intelligence is everything in the hospitality industry. This skill will help you work collaboratively in a team and keep customers happy; emotional intelligence is closely tied with great communication skills. If you really enjoy teamwork exercises, you’re already on the right path!
Apprentice Levels
Apprenticeships are split into levels depending on length and the qualification that you receive at the end. Possible qualifications that you’ll get could be:
Level 2 (intermediate) – equivalent to 5 GCSEs (at grades 9 to 4)
You’ll be spoiled for choice with a Level 2 apprenticeship in hospitality.
- Hospitality Food Production Apprenticeship – Mitchells & Butlers
- Food and Beverage Apprenticeship – Mitchells & Butlers
- Food and Beverage Apprenticeship – Leonardo Hotels
- Hospitality Team Member Apprenticeship – Apex Hotels
- Chef Apprenticeship – Greene King
- Bar and Waiting Apprentice – Greene King
- Hospitality Apprenticeship – Whitbread
- General Hospitality Apprenticeship – Eden Hotel Collection
- Reservations Apprenticeship – Hilton Hotels
- Hospitality Team Member Apprenticeship – McDonald’s
Level 3 (advanced) – equivalent to 2 A-levels
Level 3 courses are usually slightly longer and offer a more in-depth look at the subject matter.
- Spa Therapist Apprenticeship – Mariott Hotels
- Hospitality Supervisor Apprenticeship – Apex Hotels
- Team Leader Apprenticeship – Greene King
- Kitchen Apprenticeship – Whitbread
Levels 4 and 5 (higher) – equivalent to a foundation degree
Although Level 4 and 5 apprenticeships are harder to come by than others, you can still find some cool choices:
- Hospitality Manager Apprenticeship – Whitbread
- Hospitality Manager Apprenticeship – HTP Apprenticeship College
You’ll get a full bachelor’s and/or master’s degree. Yep, that’s right: with some high-level apprenticeships you can achieve a full degree at the end, without going to university.
There are not many degree-level hospitality apprenticeships available at the moment, but new roles are updated frequently. Check back soon and register for our free job alerts to never miss an opportunity.
Sector Spotlight
Have you noticed the trend in lifestyle hotels? Lifestyle hotels are less about being a hotel and more about incorporating hybrid and recreational spaces.
These hotels harness cultural elements like art and activities, as well as a more relaxed design and feel. Some lifestyle hotels host weekly events (like themed evening meals or craft sessions) to help guests socialise and get to know each other.
You can expect the walls of a lifestyle hotel to be decorated with quirky art, and you’ll probably find toiletries from unique local businesses in the bathrooms. These hotels are more trendy and contemporary than traditional establishments, and you can spot them cropping up all across Europe.
