Every person is an individual. While there are some of you who prefer to ‘cut their teeth’ straight away and head into the workplace, and others who wish to follow an apprenticeship role and have both an earning and a learning environment – there are also those who would prefer to stay in education for a while yet and attend a hospitality or catering course in college. Each one is a fantastic route into the profession.
There are a wide variety of course options available to you, from college through to university that can even take you up to degree BA (Hons) and Masters MSc level. Each college has their own portfolio of courses available, so always check out several to see what is on offer to you.
While studying at college, you will most likely be encouraged to attend work experience placements. These can be a great way of getting an insight into a professional working environment while you are still a student, and often an opportunity to build relationships with colleagues and future employers.
Colleges will have their entry qualification criteria displayed alongside your chosen course descriptions and a good deal of information on what to expect. There may be benefits to attending college that you may not necessarily receive within a job, or apprenticeship environment;
At college you will have the chance to study subjects such as sustainability in more depth
The same applies to subjects such as health and nutrition. Many catering courses now include this as part of their module
Your team of lecturers are on hand to assist you with any difficulties you may have
You have several opportunities to ‘get things right’ without many time pressures
You benefit from ‘term-time’ meaning that you have the same holidays as when you were in school. These can be a great opportunity to take up a part-time job in hospitality or travel.
You are on ‘school hours’ – meaning your evenings and weekends are free, again a perfect chance to either study more, or take a part-time job
Many colleges encourage their students to compete in National competitions. This can be a fantastic chance to challenge yourself as either an individual or team. Again, your college will support you through these moments.
Several colleges in the UK also run public serving restaurants within the campus that are managed and operated by students. Some of these restaurants are even recognised by restaurant guide books.
There is no right or wrong way to study hospitality. The most important thing is that you enjoy it and soak up all the learning!
