Be at one to deliver an Industry First

The Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) delivers learning and development for today’s managers in a wide range of businesses and many members of the Armed Forces will be familiar with its courses and qualifications.

One industry that welcomes ex-service personnel with open arms is the hospitality business. It is one of the few remaining areas where someone can join at grass roots level with minimal qualifications and still reach the top.

The lifestyle is also suited to the disciplined methods of working of former military personnel. Trustworthiness and the ability to work without supervision is paramount. So is the willingness to work outside normal office hours and gain additional qualifications.

London bar group Be At One cocktail bars has announced that from May 2013, they will become the first company in the bar industry to offer an accredited vocational qualification for their managers.

This programme is being delivered by Andy Maggs, MD of Arema who are accredited by the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM). The ILM offer nationally recognised qualifications designed to bring tangible business benefits through their strong emphasis on practical skills and assessment. The programme, which has been tailored specifically to meet the needs of Be At One’s growing business, will challenge each individual learner, giving them the practical skills and confidence to contribute more to the company.

Be At One heavily invests in the development of their employees; each bartender undergoes eight weeks of intensive training at a cost of £5,000 to ensure they have all the skills necessary to deliver the 200 cocktails on their menu. Managers receive a further eight weeks of training which will enable them to manage their teams and grow their business with this programme becoming available to all existing General Managers and has been created to develop them even further.

Graham McDonnell, HR Manager: “Our sector has so many fantastic employees who decided to pursue a career within hospitality instead of further education. They develop into management roles and have the ability to go further, however the lack of a formal qualification can restrict their progress. Our hope is to offer our managers the opportunity to truly fulfil their potential whilst they are with us, and enable them to utilise their skills when they move on.”

Be At One opened their 17th bar recently, their first bar outside the capital in Reading. The other 16 bars are located in in Battersea, Richmond, Covent Garden, Balham, Hammersmith, Putney, Soho, Clapham Common, Spitalfields, Shoreditch, King’s Cross, Monument, Guildhall, Smithfield Fenchurch Street and Islington.

City and Guilds also offers a ride range of qualifications in the hospitality business. It offers a whole host of hospitality and catering qualifications including professional cookery, food safety, butlering, bartending, barista skills and more, designed to suit different learning needs across every sector within the Hospitality & Catering industry.

Its portfolio of qualifications has been developed in conjunction with industry experts who have helped shape their continuing development, making them highly valued by employers throughout the UK.

The qualifications receive support and recognition from employers including Unilever, Marriott, Nestlé, Russums, the Army, Michelin* restaurants, and Kenco.

City & Guilds has sssociations with Craft Guild of Chefs, Academy of Culinary Arts, World Association of Chefs (WACs), PACE, Academy of Food & Wine, Institute of Hospitality and British Culinary Federation

The World Association of Chefs (WACs) is providing the opportunity for City & Guilds approved centres delivering the 7,100 Professional Cookery qualification to become a WACs accredited centre, giving those centres worldwide recognition.

Each of its qualifications benefits from the strong support offer provided.

 

Images: Maxim Blinkov / shutterstock.com