The Yarrow Hotel in Broadstairs is launching a new course to tackle the skills gap in Thanet.
The Yarrow is the only commercial training hotel to be based on a college site in the UK after a £10million investment to renovate the building and open it in July last year.
East Kent College has now developed a bespoke hotel management course after carrying out research that revealed a skills shortage in the area’s booming tourism sector.
The significant skills gap, coupled with growth in tourism, meant the college gaining backing from key stakeholders and funding for the hotel from the Skills Funding Agency.
The course
The hotel management course will include a combination of theory and practical work experience. Topics covered on the course could include: hotel operations; food and beverage management; customer experience; business models, and forms of ownership.
Catering students already enjoy work experience at The Yarrow together with expert tuition from head chef, Ben Williams, who is passionate about teaching learners the highest skills to provide the local catering industry with the high-quality workforce they require.
The industry
After a decline in tourism during the ‘90s and ‘00s the number of hotels in the area fell dramatically but arts-based regeneration has seen the industry grow exponentially.
In the past five years new businesses such as Sands Hotel in Margate and The Albion in Ramsgate have opened to meet this growing demand.
Turner Contemporary and Dreamland have also prompted the growth of high-quality restaurants in east Kent.
This means a supply of highly-skilled staff is increasingly essential for local businesses to thrive.
Rob Kenyon, director of community services at Thanet District Council, said: “As the fastest-growing tourism destination in the UK, the demand for quality hotel and overnight accommodation in Thanet is rising rapidly. “Thanet District Council and East Kent College entered into a strategic partnership in 2016 as part of our joint commitment to help improve training and professional development.
“It’s great to see that East Kent College has not only established an award winning hotel, but is also investing in developing the skills that our island needs to create local jobs and to ensure we remain a first class visitor destination.”
Thanet’s booming tourist trade in numbers
Paul Manning, campus principal at the East Kent College site in Broadstairs, added: “Providing our students with career-relevant courses whilst providing them with a fantastic leaning experience is integral to the College. The outstanding facilities here will spearhead an innovative and highly-trained workforce for our local hospitality industry.”
The hotel management course will start this September. Find out more at http://www.eastkent.ac.uk
The Yarrow in numbers
1890s – convalescent home
World War One hospital
1960s – College
2011 – building in empty
2016 – It opens as the UK’s first further education hotel The Yarrow
The hotel has 28 beds and 5 suites
64 cover restaurant
50-person capacity bar
120 person capacity function room
Since opening 2,600 beds have been made
Income generated is £500,000
126 students in training so far
40 staff
Average age of staff is 28