The Craft Guild has signed up recruitment agency Collins King to teach students from Westminster Kingsway College how to prepare themselves for a career in the industry, with a few that show exceptional promise selected to compete for a real position.
The initiative revolves around the premise that no matter how good the college training, students are not always aware of how to go about getting a job, how to shine at an interview and what it is actually like to be a part of the increasingly competitive hospitality industry.
The training, led by experts from Collins King, will encompass a series of presentations over September 6 and 7 for around 144 first year students and approximately 65 third year students on Westminster Kingsway College’s Professional Cookery Diploma course.
First year students will be guided through everything from how to find jobs and the different types available, to preparing a CV and honing interview skills as the basis of job hunting.
For third year students, the training could be the first real rung on the career ladder, each student being tasked with applying for a job and sitting a live interview, with a few who impress the mock employees invited to go for a real vacancy sourced by Collins King.
Craft Guild CEO Martin Bates said the initiative aimed to introduce new students to the industry they were getting into, its benefits and challenges, and give them an opportunity to become as work-ready as possible.
“The aim of this collaboration is to help students develop an understanding of the personal skills required to work in the hospitality and catering industry and the importance to the student of being able to demonstrate such skills,” he explained.
“We will focus on the development of generic skills required by today’s employers that relate to the key aspects of working life such as presenting a professional and positive to potential employers.
“There is strong emphasis on communication within the teaching as well as the development of customer facing skills and CV writing. It is essential that our students reflect the characteristics a contemporary and wide-ranging industry demands.”