Last year, The Bournemouth & Poole College’s Academy of Service Industries celebrated 100% pass rate in their new Diploma in Hospitality Reception course, while this July saw eight receptionists taking their first steps on the career ladder after completing a hugely successful Cumbria Tourist Board apprenticeship scheme.

The Bournemouth course sponsored by Bournemouth Area Hospitality Association (BAHA), was established to meet the needs of local hotels and other industry areas which rely heavily on a first-class ‘front of house’ team to provide excellent customer care skills. All the students completed a work experience placement as part of the course, and all successfully found full time employment with a number of prestigious hotels in the area, including the Menzies Carlton, De Vere Village, Bournemouth and the FJB Haven.
At the other end of the country, apprentices from Workington, Aspatria, Whitehaven, Ambleside, Kendal and Dalton-in-Furness have all graduated under the Receptionist Apprentice Scheme, which has been run by CTB since 2004.

Under the apprenticeship scheme the eight have received sales, IT and business training and gained a Level 2 NVQ qualification. All have secured permanent jobs after taking the course, with the majority gaining employment at some of Cumbria's top hotels.

Recommended Links for Hospitality Reception Training:

There are a number of excellent sites designed to give career advice and information about training and qualifications in the Hospitality and Tourism industry:

The Tourism Training Trust (TTT) is recognised by government and industry as the sector training council (STC) which represents the tourism and hospitality industry's training requirements and future skills needs to government departments and funding bodies.

http://www.tttni.com/tr_providers/default.asp

The Sector Skills Council for the Hospitality, Leisure, Travel and Tourism industries, ensuring that the skills employers need are the skills they get. Working with government and educators to enable delivery of a demand led learning provision for the sector.

http://www.people1st.co.uk/career-guide

Organisation which promotes careers in hospitality, leisure, tourism and travel. Specialist careers service provides free objective advice. The Travel & Tourism Programme (TTP) is part of the Springboard Charitable Trust, and is the UK's leading source of support, resources and training for hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism courses in schools and colleges.

http://www.springboarduk.org.uk

Thousands of vocational courses online, onsite, or in one of hundreds of learning centres throughout the UK. Also career advice.

http://www.learndirect.co.uk/

Click below for Reception World