Top skills on menu for hospitality trade

May 12 2008 Evening Gazette

DARLINGTON will help put UK hospitality on a par with standards enjoyed in the rest of Europe, following news that it is to become part of a national skills academy to raise standards in the industry.

In a bid to shrug off the sector’s poor self esteem and make careers in kitchens and hotels more attractive for youngsters, Darlington College is to build a £3m commercial hotel as part of a £4m local investment. Nationally, the academy is likely to cost around £100m.

Lecturer and catering services manager Stephen Mannock, who steered the bid with the sector skills council People 1st to bring the academy to Darlington, said: “The catering profession struggles with kudos. TV chefs have done an enormous amount of good, but unfortunately front of house jobs are still seen as something you do at university to earn a bit of extra money.”

A hotel and restaurateur for 22 years, he said conditions and pay in the UK hospitality sector had improved ‘massively’. “Hopefully, this will raise the profile of the trade further.”

The hotel, which Mr Mannock said would be rated as 3-star, but “run on 4-star plus service levels”, will provide a training ground for students taking part in courses from NVQ to degree level.

Darlington, which is already a recognised centre of excellence in vocational training for the hospitality industry, will be among the first to follow Europe’s lead in providing a fully commercial environment in which to assess and instruct professionals entering the industry and should significantly boost both perception and pay levels, said Mr Mannock.

Julia Frater, head of visitTeesValley, welcomed the news.

She said: “It’s fantastic for the Tees Valley for two reasons - both to encourage people to go into the hospitality industry and encourage them to stay.”

Tees has some of the highest turnover rates in the UK, with 85% of chefs leaving every year.

“Over the next five years there are going to be between 2,000 and 4,000 jobs created in the Tees Valley. There are nine hotels developments alone planned for Middlesbrough,” said Ms Frater.

Mr Mannock said the international spotlight would fall on Britain’s hospitality trade as the 2012 Olympics approached. The new training hotel meant students would be ‘far better prepared’ to enter employment, he said.

“We have seen an increase in the number of people coming through door wanting to be chefs, but it’s the front of house that is really lagging behind.”