Warwick Conferences harnesses future industry talent

As Warwick Conferences’ apprentice scheme draws to the end of a successful first year, the next band of selected recruits are getting ready to embark on the second instalment of the training programme.

Participants in the apprenticeship—partnered with Stratford-upon-Avon college—spend four days a week gaining valuable hands-on experience at Warwick Conferences’ facilities, and one day a week working towards an NVQ at Stratford college.

Each apprentice also receives a mentor from their department and is encouraged to attend regular meetings and skills workshops to ensure their employability is maximised by the time they complete the scheme.

The five apprentices from the 2012/2013 cohort will celebrate their success at a special graduation dinner hosted by Warwick Conferences on 20th August.

One current apprentice, Sam Bagworth, impressed his managers so much over the course of the year that he has been offered a full-time permanent position at Conference Park.

Sam comments: “My time at Warwick Conferences has definitely provided me with an invaluable insight into the meeting and conferencing industry.

“The varied and relevant experience that I have gained over the past year is testament to the quality of the scheme on offer. I now feel prepared and excited about beginning my career at Warwick Conferences.”

In September, the scheme will welcome a group of six new starters—all of whom were selected from around 80 applicants following an assessment day and panel interviews with Warwick staff.

Three of the chosen applicants for 2013/14 will undertake a chef apprenticeship working with the centres’ award-winning menus, while three will rotate around each department of the business, including housekeeping, reception, restaurant, conference assistance and kitchen.

Richard Harrison, General Manager at Warwick Conferences’ Scarman centre, comments: “We are delighted to see that the first year of the apprentice scheme has been such a success and how our first participants have risen to the challenge.

“Apprentices are absolutely essential to the growth of the meetings and conferences industry, and Warwick Conferences is dedicated to nurturing and encouraging its future talent.

“It is therefore paramount that our apprentice scheme provides a comprehensive and applicable training programme to ensure that our apprentices graduate stood in good stead for their futures – and for the future of the industry.

“We wish our first apprentices the very best of luck in their careers, and look forward to welcoming the next group of six participants on board in September.”

For more information please call us on 0845 230 1414 or email info@cceonline.co.uk

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.”