Hand Picked Hotels, a unique collection of 20 privately-owned country house hotels and spa retreats across the UK and the Channel Islands, has launched a dedicated apprenticeship academy aimed at providing a development programme for the leaders of the future.
The academy, which has been curated in partnership with HIT Training, provides those working at Hand Picked Hotels with the tools, expertise and training to progress in their career towards deputy level positions.
29 apprentices across Hand Picked Hotels’ portfolio are enrolled on the Leaders of the Future Academy to complete the Level Three Supervisory Management Apprenticeship. As part of their programme, they will participate in seven interactive workshops which cover topics such as building relationships & communication, personal effectiveness, problem solving & decision making, and operational & project management, as well as one-to-one sessions with their HIT trainer and individual projects.
The curriculum is bespoke to Hand Picked Hotels’ business needs, as well as the requirements and challenges of working in a supervisory position, and includes different training methods and learning styles to provide flexibility to the learners and on-the-job training.
With a business philosophy built on developing its people and promoting from within, Hand Picked Hotels has opened the academy up to all areas of the business and has enrolled apprentices from the HR, maintenance, front of house and kitchen departments. Plans are also being put in place to launch an academy for a Level Five Operations / Departmental Manager Apprenticeship and a mentoring programme to provide the next level in the apprentices’ career progression.
Speaking about the launch of the Academy, Deborah Seymour, Director of Human Resources at Hand Picked Hotels, said: “We’ve been working with HIT Training for a number of years to offer apprenticeships across our business, including a bespoke chef academy. We were conscious that we needed to strengthen our development pipeline for the future and provide further progression opportunities for our team members. The aim of the Leaders of the Future Academy is to provide those who are working in a supervisory role with the opportunity to progress their careers in the hospitality industry through a structured training programme.
“Our chef academy for level two apprentices has been so successful that we wanted to replicate this interactive and flexible style of working for the more operational roles in the business. Working with HIT Training, we’ve developed a programme that is unique to our business and uses our Apprenticeship Levy funding to achieve the maximum business results and highest quality training for our team.”
Jill Whittaker, Managing Director of HIT Training, added: “Hand Picked Hotels is a best in class example of the opportunities training and development programmes like apprenticeships can provide for both businesses and employees alike. By implementing tailored programmes that can accommodate different job levels and departments across the business, employers will not only experience a more motivated, skilled and satisfied team but they will also make a significant impact in staff retention and stand out as an aspirational place to work, due to the development opportunities available.”