25 Oct Key event to champion hospitality careers attracts 37 top industry brands at Edge Hotel School
Edge Hotel School welcomed more than 35 leading hospitality brands to its careers fair this October, promoting jobs in the industry to its cohort of students.
The likes of Hilton, Exclusive, The Goring and Dorchester Collection were among exhibitors sharing their opportunities for graduates.
Many of the brands had previous Edge Hotel School students now in their workforces and returning to the event to share their positive experiences as encouragement for entering the industry.
A joint venture between the University of Essex and the Edge Foundation, the hotel school offers students an accelerated two-year or a standard three-year bachelor’s degree in Hotel Management or Event Management whilst gaining a full range of experience and knowledge on the job – a concept not trialled in the UK before.
The value of the two-year course was a recurring topic at the event, with exhibiting businesses agreeing that it attracts a certain type of hard-working and passionate student that is prioritising their learning, to enter the industry as soon as possible.
Offering a more intense schedule of learning and cheaper fees in place of less university holidays, Edge Hotel School’s Principal, Andy Boer, feels the accelerated courses could be a beneficial avenue for higher education moving forwards, particularly given the increasing costs of living. He said: “We’ve had great success with the concept of the two-year course. The students really are here to learn and have a genuine determination to kickstart their careers as soon as possible. The number of exhibiting alumni here today in management positions at top hotels and event companies that have come straight from the two-year course speaks for itself.
“It’s one of the best ways for our current students to feel motivated to develop their hospitality careers when they see past students, some of which graduated just last month and are already excelling in roles. We’ve got F&B managers, Head Housekeepers, Operations Managers and more here, effectively demonstrating the breadth of career opportunities following their practical student learning here at Edge Hotel School.”
Exhibitor Ashley Hewlett, Recruitment Manager from 1711 at Ascot Racecourse said: “We take on 30 students from Edge Hotel School for each of our race days throughout the year and they’re used as onsite junior managers. We find that both hotel management and event management students demonstrate the rare skillset that we require to deliver exceptional standards of customer service at Ascot. We visit lots of career fairs locally, but we come out of our way to be at Edge Hotel School as they offer a great calibre of student.”
Alumni student Jaryd Ivins completed his masters this September and started the graduate programme at The Dorchester just three days later. Having attended an open day at the hotel during his university course, the role was secured earlier in the year, taking the pressure off finding a job post university.
This was the case with many alumni in attendance, who had found roles through past careers fairs and open days. Jaryd returned to this event to share his positive experience entering a hospitality career and to encourage others to follow suit. The Dorchester has this year taken on 14 graduates into its programme – double that of last year.
