Engaging with industry

Employers are central to effective Diploma delivery and consortia are required to build links with employers in their local areas to bring more on board.

It is essential that consortia include employers in the early stages of planning and that bids are developed in collaboration with them. Their active involvement is critical in ensuring the viability and success the Diploma in Hospitality locally.

Early involvement also brings about a collaborative partnership in which all members of the consortium are working towards common goals. Consortia should establish such collaboration early, forging links with local employers and taking steps to understand their needs so as to ensure that they are active in the day-to-day planning of the curriculum, can offer constructive support and are able to play an active part in teaching and learning, ensuring that the Diploma in Hospitality is delivered in creative and innovative ways.

Consortia should use local education-business links and partnerships and the Network of Education-Business Partnerships Organisation (NEBPSs), which brings together employers and business. More information can be found at here.

In addition to being involved in the early stages of curriculum design, employers can be involved throughout the learning process in a number of different ways.

  • Providing work experience, or taster days, for learners.  Each consortium will need to have good links with a number of employers who can support the delivery of the Diploma, making sure that the number of the allied organisations is sufficient to accomodate the expected number of learners.
  • Supporting teaching staff.  Employers can make sure that consortium teaching staff are up to date with and keeping abreast of, the changes in the hospitality industry, by taking in teachers and lecturers for industry update placements. Over time, this will ensure that teachers/lecturers are not only ready for 2009/2010 delivery, but are in a position to make sure that the Diploma curriculm stays relevant in the future.
  • Offering master-classes, presentations, visits and workshops.  Employers' contribution can be wider than offering well-structured work placements alone. They can provide learners with information on real-life industry practices that would enable them to put their learning in context. For example, learners could visit local hospitality establishments to see, for themselves, the business in operation.
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  • Offering mentoring support for learners. Employers can also provide learners with opportunities to shadow key staff, sit in on meetings, be supported in the development of CVs, interview skills, etc, in ways that make their learning more real.
  • Providing data and outlining 'real-life' business problems. Armed with this information, learners can undertake projects that address a real need of a local business and draft materials suggesting how this need could be met.