Hospitality school welcomes first 38 students

SCOTLAND’S hospitality industry is to be given a boost with the creation of a new academy to train young staff for the country’s leading hotels and restaurants.

The partnership between schools, leading hotel groups, Queen Margaret University and Jewel & Esk College, will see teenagers given the skills to help them secure jobs in one of the Scottish economy’s most important sectors.

The initiative, which launches tomorrow counts Marriott, Novotel, Macdonald Hotels, Jurys Inn and Mercure among its partners, and has backing from the five-star Prestonfield House hotel in Edinburgh.

Thirty-eight pupils from three East Lothian schools will be the first to enrol in the new academy, which will see them learn new skills alongside their normal school studies.

The two-year programme, which is open to 14 to 18-year -olds, will give those taking part the opportunity to attain formal hospitality qualifications, helping them find a job or a place on a course at college or university.

Alan Gilloran, vice principal at Queen Margaret University, said the country’s tourism and hospitality sector was often let down by poor service. “Hospitality and tourism are critical to the Scottish economy,” he said. “In some areas of the country hospitality and tourism standards are excellent. Scotland has wonderful food, a stunning landscape and a rich cultural heritage, but all too often we let ourselves down with our service delivery.

“If Scotland wants to be a world-class destination, we need to equip a new generation of young people with the right skills and a fresh approach. Through the academy, we will promote the attitude that service excellence is the only acceptable standard.”

Pupils from Musselburgh Grammar, Preston Lodge High School in Prestonpans and Ross High School in Tranent will be the first to take part in the initiative. They include those with varying levels of academic achievement, all of whom had to fill in an application form and attend an interview at QMU.

While there are no guaranteed jobs for those taking part, there will be work placements at the hotel groups involved.

Patricia Rainey, a HR director at Marriott Hotels, said: “Hospitality and tourism are growth sectors in the economy and need the best and brightest talent to satisfy the demand.”