Apprenticeship case study - Lancaster London
Why did you choose to employ apprentices?
Lancaster London has a very active corporate social responsibility (CSR) team and a strong CSR ethos that runs within the company. We’re always looking for ways to connect with our local community and have always done what we can to be a stepping stone for young people into work.
Working with partners like University of West London, Go To Work by Employers for Employment, and Umbrella Training we’ve given opportunities to many young people including work experience, apprenticeships and internships.
What benefits has your apprenticeship programme brought to your business?
The people we’ve invested in and supported through our apprenticeships arrive with fresh eyes and a hunger to learn and are keen to offer their ideas for how we can evolve in our journey to becoming a 5 star hotel.
During their apprenticeship, our apprentices get to know the company inside out whilst they are learning the trade. We’re always keen to offer our apprentices a job when their training ends or help them in their search for work.
Who are the apprentices that work for you?
Our apprentices are people that are looking for a direction in their career. They’re ambitious and want to refine their skills, either on a path they’re certain of, or test the waters of a career in hospitality and catering. Each of them brings different and valuable life experiences to our business which we fully embrace and welcome. We currently have 15 apprentices including Stephen, a 19 year old from Scotland.
After working overseas in a family run business, he knew hospitality was what he wanted to do. When he returned to London, he joined our business in March 2014. Today, he’s an asset to our Food and Beverage team and can now work to a 4-star standard and is doing well with his apprenticeship.
Roxana's been in London for a year now and has been working as a kitchen apprentice. She’s from Greece, where she worked as a kitchen porter and then chef for 11 years. Despite all her experience, she lacks professional qualifications in this industry in the UK. She’s now looking forward to a successful career in the profession she loves here in London.
How does hiring and the day to day management of apprentices compare with other routes, such as graduate schemes or traineeships?
The apprenticeship hiring process takes two days, but to get to this stage, we first work with an apprenticeship provider to find suitable candidates. On day one all candidates are interviewed by the line manager of the selected departments to find out their career aspirations and how we could support them on their journey.
On day two, the shortlisted candidates take part in various interactive games while we assess their interpersonal skills. Finally each person has to write a 200 word summary of what this apprenticeship will mean to them.
Would you recommend apprentices to other businesses? If so, why?
Yes, it’s a unique opportunity for organisations of all sizes to recognise young people, help them improve their skills and reach their potential. They’re our future and to be part of this amazing process is rewarding.
What piece of advice would you give to employers who are considering hiring apprentices?
Employers have to be honest about their expectations towards the apprentice. The apprentices often are ready to fully commit to this challenge and you have to be open and ready to support them at every stage of their journey.
Where are your apprentices now?
Of our past apprentices, we’re particularly proud of Ronald, who did an Advanced Apprenticeship in Professional Cookery with us. He started as an Intermediate Apprentice Chef and then progressed to Commis Chef and now has his dream job of Demi Chef de Partie.
Then there’s Anita, who did an Intermediate Apprenticeship in Professional Cookery and was recently promoted to Commis Chef in our Events Kitchen. She’s working towards her Advanced Apprenticeship in Professional Cookery. Finally there’s Jordan, who did an Advanced Apprenticeship in Professional Patisserie and is now practising his skills overseas.
Anything you’d like to add?
We‘re part of the National Apprenticeship Service’s Trailblazers initiative and have influenced the design of the new Apprenticeship standards for Chefs and Managers of the future. Our General Manager pulled together a consortium of SME (small- and medium-sized enterprises) employers to be represented where large employers have initially dominated apprenticeship reform.
It’s critical that SMEs know about the new landscape and Lancaster London has been instrumental in progressing this through Trailblazer 2. We want SME employers from the sector to stand up and be heard so they too can be part of the new standards for this critical sector.