Hospitality

Connie wanted to continue studying Hospitality in Year 13 but wasn’t able to do this at school, so enrolled in the Trades Academy programme instead. This has turned out to be a great opportunity. “The programme here is really cool. It’s all practical and hands on, and we get to work in the commercial kitchen for a full day every Friday, rather than only having a few periods throughout the week at school”.

Connie says that the programme is giving her the skills and experience she needs to go on and gain employment in the hospitality sector. “I’ve learnt so many new skills here – every week we do something different. The tutor starts by demonstrating and explaining what we’re going to do for the day and then we get to go into the kitchen and do it all ourselves.”

One highlight of the course has been meeting new people from other schools. “We all want to be here, so everyone is focused and engaged in what they’re doing. The tutors are also really friendly and helpful.”

Hize took Hospitality in Years 11 and 12 at school and was then given the opportunity to come to Trades Academy to complete the Level 3 Trades Hospitality programme. He says he was quite nervous when he first started the programme, as he was unsure what to expect. Now however, he’s met people from lots of different schools and is really enjoying the chance to improve his cooking skills and explore new ways of preparing food.

“I enjoy being in the kitchen for the full day and there’s a good balance between practical and theory work. The chefs here are all friendly and patient. You can always ask questions if you don’t understand something”.