QHotels offers a foundation degree in professional hospitality operations management, validated by University College Birmingham. Since 2013 15 employees have been through the course. All of the students passed, and all have been promoted at least once since.
“It’s important that at the same time as working in a classroom setting the students are learning every day on the job,” she explained. “They can apply what they learn in the classroom to their work, and what they learn in the workplace complements their studies.”
Redding added that this approach is ideal for those who may be uncertain on how to improve their career prospects. “Increasingly people are in a quandary about whether to go down a full-time education route, or whether to go into full-time employment,” she said. “This allows them the opportunity to do both. Essentially it’s earning while you’re learning.”
Redding explained QHotels’ course is focused on developing the leaders of the future. “We try to give them the people management skills they will need to progress as a manager [such as] commerciality, and then some of their own personal development like planning and organisation,” she said. “There’s a real mix of skills being taught.”
Providing the opportunity for personal development can also be a retention strategy, Redding explained. “We’re using the programme as a retention tool, both for existing team members who are keen to progress and as a recruitment tool,” she said. “It’s such a challenging recruitment market in hospitality at the moment you want to be absolutely focused on retaining your talent.
“Equally you need to be bringing new talent in, which is always healthy for a business. We can use the programme as a tool in these ways.”
The foundation degree is part of a suite of QED Management Development programmes delivered by QHotels, from apprenticeships to senior management level courses.
