Case studies
Case study from Kallum, who has recently completed a Level 3 Hospitality Supervisor Apprenticeship with REKOM UK.
“I love learning and progressing in things I’m passionate about. The opportunity to broaden my knowledge and understanding of the industry I work in and fell in love with is something I had to jump on.
The possibility of climbing the ladder within the company and meeting new people in REKOM UK was also paramount in my decision to undertake the apprenticeship.
I’m really happy with my overall grade and how quickly I implemented my learning into my role, as well as the positive outcome it has had on my team and business.
The knowledge I have gained from this apprenticeship has been instrumental in my development. The new-found understanding I have of the business and industry has made me think about my actions within work in a far different light, leading me to always look for the best way to approach every single task.
The programme has enabled me to show off my skills to many people within the company, and I look forward to staying with REKOM UK and working my way up one step at a time, gaining even more experience and knowledge along the way.”
Case study from Becky, who has completed a Level 3 Hospitality Supervisor Apprenticeship with REKOM UK.
“The apprenticeship covered aspects of the job that I hadn’t previously come across, such as profit & loss, labour budgeting and staff management.
The end project, where I put together a plan for a new session to implement within the already established sessions at Oceana, gave me a much better understanding of how all the things we learnt during the apprenticeship come together and how I need all of that knowledge to implement a business plan.
I started my apprenticeship as an assistant manager, and during the course of the programme I was promoted to senior assistant manager, followed by a promotion to deputy manager just after completing the course. I also won the Assistant Manager of the Year award at the national company conference, and now feel more confident in my role, all of which the apprenticeship definitely helped me achieve.
Case study from Georgia, who has recently completed a Level 3 Hospitality Supervisor Apprenticeship with REKOM UK.
“I have been very keen to gain more experience in my role and move myself up the ladder in the company, and felt that an apprenticeship would help me fill in any gaps in my knowledge and give me a wider understanding of the industry.
As well as covering areas such as Guest relations and finance, the apprenticeship heavily focuses on developing ourselves and helping us to understand how we work in our sector as individuals. The course really makes you delve into what you’re good at and sometimes I found it hard to believe that I was as capable as the course was making me seem!
The apprenticeship has enabled me to fully use and pass on the fantastic knowledge I’ve gained, and apply it with guests or staff on my team without needing to doubt myself.
I am now a stronger and more knowledgeable leader in all teams I work with, and has given me a great stepping stone to build myself up for any future positions. “
Case study from Jordanne, who is currently completing a Level 4 Hospitality Manager Apprenticeship with REKOM UK.
“I strive to be the best I can possibly be at my job and being a perfectionist I like to have the answer to any question or problem that comes my way. So when my general manager discussed the apprenticeship scheme with me, it seemed like the ideal opportunity to improve my skills and develop my weaker areas.
The programme, to be completed over a 16-18 month period is designed to bridge the gap between assistant manager and deputy manager level, and I’m thrilled that it has helped me achieve my recent promotion to deputy manager! It has grown my self-confidence and shown that hard work and commitment is recognised and appreciated.
Although it can be tricky to juggle the apprenticeship with busy trading periods, every day is a learning day and it’s really helped me identify and focus on my weaker areas, as well as teaching me a lot about my management style and how I work with others.
The programme is definitely worthwhile as not only a great way to develop, but to show your willingness to progress”.
Case study from Renars, who is currently completing a Level 3 Hospitality Supervisor Apprenticeship with REKOM UK.
“I saw the apprenticeship as an opportunity to learn about the sector I have chosen to build a career in, allowing me to excel in my position and offer the most I possibly can.
The program has given me the opportunity to visit other REKOM UK venues and the HUB, as well as being invited to the House of Commons for a National Apprenticeship week last year.
The content of the course has an easy-going flow and the knowledge is very practical, which makes application reasonably comfortable. End-point assessments are well organised, making the process less stressful than some may think.
The apprenticeship has helped me improve the staff situation at my venue, specifically the motivational theories helping me to reduce staff turnover, improve sales revenue and increase morae and chemistry within the team.
On a personal level, it has helped me become more organised and improved my ability to juggle more things at once”.
Case study from Vickie, who is currently completing a Level 3 Hospitality Supervisor Apprenticeship with REKOM UK.
“I’m the kind of person who likes to progress and learn new things, so when my general manager first told me that the scheme was a great way for me to progress in my career, it really sold it to me.
The workshops are very informative and hearing the experiences of other managers, supervisors and crew members out on the floors of different venues has been a key part of my learning. I’m not just writing things up in a workbook and sending it off; I’m implementing the things I’m learning in my day-to-day job and learning more and more about the industry as I go.
Having left college 5 years ago, writing essays and researching wasn’t something I had done in a long time – so this was an achievement in itself! My greatest achievement of the programme so far though, was being asked to attend an apprenticeship day at the House of Commons and receive an Outstanding Achievement award.
I have learnt and grown so much from the programme that I would encourage anyone who wants a career in the night-time hospitality sector to go for it!”
Case study from Joe, who is 6 months into a 12 month Hospitality Supervisor Apprenticeship with REKOM UK.
“I was attracted by the prospect of being able to learn new skills whilst working on the job, and being able to further the knowledge that I already held to put me in the best position possible to advance my career with REKOM UK.
The financial elements of the apprenticeship have particularly helped as looking back from the start of the programme to now, I have been able to further understand gross profit margins, calculating liquor margins and become able to analyse a profit and loss sheet; all skills which I wouldn’t have achieved without the support of my HIIT trainers and colleagues.
My greatest achievement of the apprenticeship to date is being nominated for the ‘Rising Star of the Year 2018’ award (Joe was also nominated for the ‘Assistant Manager of the Year’ award at the 2018 REKOM UK conference). It is a great achievement on a personal level to be recognised for any kind of award, and to be nominated by my seniors is a tremendous honour.
The skills, information and knowledge that I have learnt through this process has set me in good stead to reach my goal of becoming a deputy manager within the REKOM UK Group”.
Case study from Matt, who is currently completing a Level 4 Hospitality Manager Apprenticeship with REKOM UK.
“I am always looking at ways to improve myself and the course offered a detailed plan, focusing on weaknesses I wanted to improve, setting targets and ensuring they were focused on.
Together we created an 18-month plan, outlining how the tasks would improve my skills as a manager. I completed the set workbooks before workshops, allowing me to approacg the workshop with an understanding of the topic.
The small groups allow everyone to be involved and makes you really feel like you can take something away from it.
I’ve developed a further understanding of how my venue works and I work closely with my general manager. I recently booked a glitter party for our Friday night and there was a great buzz around the room!
The apprenticeship has helped me show managers in my region my intentions, develop my skills and offered an opportunity in a very busy industry, for me to put myself forward and focus on my own development inside of the business needs”.