Kirklees College has partnered with the Job Centre to deliver a Sector-Based Work Academy Programme (SWAP) to support people into work in the hospitality and catering sector.
The Sector-Based Work Academy is designed to meet employers immediate and future recruitment needs, as well as to recruit a skilled workforce with the right skills to sustain and grow their business.
The course was delivered over a 2-week period where candidates worked in the college’s refectory and on-site restaurant. The programme covered numerous aspects relating to the hospitality industry, including customer service skills, how to fulfil orders professionally, complying with health and safety laws and the importance of knowing food and drinks menus.
The college’s employer partners also spoke to learners virtually to provide them with an insight into working in the industry.
The learners gained a City & Guilds Employability Skills qualification which teaches skills for employment, including workplace communication, teamworking, job searching, applying for a job and interview techniques.
On completion of the course, informal interviews were conducted with candidates and those who passed were offered a formal interview with one of the college’s employer partners.
David McCann, Hospitality Services Manager at Kirklees College said:
“We are really proud to be working with the Job Centre to be able to provide employability opportunities for people in the local area. One of our employees progressed through a Job Centre programme and gained level 3 hospitality qualifications before working full-time at Kirklees College. We hope to run more SWAP programmes in the future to help sustain the future of the local hospitality sector.”
For more information about Sector-Based Work Academies at Kirklees College, visit https://www.kirkleescollege.ac.uk/employers/.