What are the UKs strengths in this skill? 

 

 

There are some very good further educational institutions across the UK providing excellent resources to train young people towards international standards of excellence.  Many, have dedicated staff championing the work in their colleges who invest a lot of their time and resources to train young people towards those international standards. 

There are also very motivated and committed young people who are prepared to push themselves to achieve world class standards.  

The Hospitality industry in the UK is ranked as one of the top performing internationally with world renowned five-star establishments. Unfortunately, these establishments are in small numbers, and more work needs to be done to build better partnerships between industry and education.  At Level 5 and Level 6 in hospitality, there is too much emphasis on academic subjects.  There needs to be more practical / hands on work experience included in the course. 

 

What are the UKs areas for development? 

 

  • upgrade of facilities and training infrastructure  
  • staff training and professional development, carried out in partnership with industry
  • review of current curriculum, with changes made so it reflects the higher standards set at WorldSkills. 
What are the key skills that UK educators need to develop in their students in readiness for national competitions, industry / employment? 
National Competitions  Employment / Industry 

 

1. Literacy  

2. Numeracy  

3. IT Skills  

4. Team Building  

5. Communication Skills: verbal, non-verbal and written  

6. Working with others  

 

 

1. Personal presentation  

2. Posture and stance  

3. Interpersonal skills  

4. Intrapersonal skills  

5. Self esteem  

6. Self confidence  

7. Self determination  

 

Training/CPD resources for UK educators  
There are technical masterclasses available on our WorldSkills UK Learning Lab that showcase how to develop excellence in the areas of: 

 

  • carving of smoked salmon 
  • carving of roast chicken 
  • filleting of Dover sole 
  • preparation of steak Diane 
  • preparation of fruit cocktails
  • boxing of table  
  • folding of napkins 
  • barista coffees  

 Please click on the On-demand teacher training link at the bottom of the main web page.

Final Thoughts: 

Educators need to: 

  • keep up to date with what is happening in the hospitality industry nationally and internationally 
  • keep up to date with future trends emerging in the hospitality industry  
  • encourage creativity skills: make students create signature dishes using a mystery basket 
  • update their technical skills and knowledge of industry standards on a regular basis  
  • foster the development of softer skills amongst young people  
  • encourage personal presentation and communication skills.  

There needs to be more of a focus on mindset training, so students can perform under pressure I and there needs to more hands-on training in high class establishments to replicate the real-world situations students will encounter on a daily basis. 

It is also vital we develop the softer skills amongst young people from the start of their full-time education. These skills can be a brilliant catalyst for them to excel, once they have perfected their technical knowledge and skills.   

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