Grove of Narberth team launches hospitality academy
The hospitality group behind the Grove of Narberth hotel, Coast restaurant at Saundersfoot and the Beach House restaurant at Oxwich has teamed up with three Welsh colleges to launch the Seren Academy hospitality training programme.
The academy has been created to help colleges develop and inspire young people to pursue a career in hospitality in Wales. Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Gower Colleges have signed up to the project for their students to take on work placements across the group's businesses.
Each venue will welcome students on visits to tour the facilities and spend time with the respective management teams. Work placements are also planned for all students attending the relevant courses.
Chefs Will Holland from Coast, Allister Barsby from the Grove of Narberth and Hywel Griffith from Beach House will become chef ambassadors for the catering colleges. The chefs, together with other members of the respective management teams, will also be visiting colleges to support the lecture programme, sharing their knowledge of the sector and career stories as well as cooking with the students on guest chef evenings.
Six bursaries of £400 are also being offered to students to help them through the remainder of their studies, together with full-time work placements throughout the summer months. It is hoped that full-time salaried roles will then be offered to students who successfully complete their studies and reach the required standard.
Neil Kedward, owner of the hospitality group, said: "Over the years, we have had a considerable amount of success identifying and developing talented young professionals and we want to continue that work within a structured programme with the colleges. Identifying and inspiring young people and developing their skills properly through quality job experiences is key if the sector is to continue to grow in the region. We want to be right at the centre of that effort to improve the numbers entering the sector working in close partnership with the respective colleges."
Sharron Lusher, principal at Pembrokeshire College, added: "This is a fantastic opportunity for our students to have real-life experiences and meet professionals working at the highest levels in the sector. We hope this will inspire them to push on with their studies to attain greater levels of achievement. We look forward to a successful relationship with the Seren Academy and wholeheartedly support any effort like this to help our students succeed."
Grove of Narberth appoints first general manager >>
The Beach House hires Freemasons head chef >>
Coast Restaurant team to launch Gower Peninsula beachfront restaurant >>
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