Warwick Conferences harnesses future industry talent

Warwick Conferences has teamed up with Stratford-upon-Avon College to offer six youngsters an exclusive year-long apprenticeship at its collection of training and conference venues. 

Following a stringent assessment day at Coventry and Warwickshire-based Warwick Conferences, six out of sixty applicants were specially selected by a panel of interviewees to work in various roles within the organisation for an entire year. 

Three of the apprentices selected will carry out a chef apprenticeship where they will work in the kitchens under the head chefs whilst receiving mentoring from executive development chef Graham Crump. The other three will take it in turns to work in each department of the business, including housekeeping, reception, restaurant, conference assistance and kitchen. 

Warwick Conferences Scarman

The apprentices will work four days per week at Warwick Conferences’ Arden, Scarman and Radcliffe venues, and their fifth day will be spent at Stratford College working towards their NVQ.

Richard Harrison, General Manager at Warwick Conferences comments: “We are very proud to be working in partnership with Stratford-upon-Avon College in our new practical apprenticeship scheme.

 “We wanted to offer young people a bespoke, applied, hands-on and genuinely life-changing opportunity where they spend a year building on their knowledge of the meetings and conference industry, developing their skills, and preparing themselves for the world of work.
“Apprentices are hugely important to our industry and, as a collection of leading meetings and events venues in the UK, we feel it is our responsibility to encourage and harness this future talent.
“Our people are at the heart of our business and well-trained front of house teams and chefs are critical to the success of the service that we offer. The quality of this scheme certainly reflects this.”

Peter Young, the Curriculum Area Manager for Employer Responsive at Stratford-upon-Avon College said: “We are delighted to be working with Warwick Conferences on this project.

“Both organisations have outstanding reputations in this field and the young people involved will receive excellent training, both in the workplace and at college.
“This project is a prime example of the benefits of Apprenticeships where formal training is combined with training by an employer to produce people with skill sets that, not only match an employer’s needs, but provide a first class base for developing their careers.”