College welcomes hospitality employers to open event

11/05/2010

Employers exchange ideas at the Hospitality open event

Central Sussex College opened its doors to representatives from the Hospitality and Catering industry for a lunchtime forum on development and training.

The College's Hospitality team was delighted to welcome representatives from South Lodge Hotel, the Felbridge Hotel and Copthorne Gatwick Hotel among others for a lunchtime event in April, held in the College's training restaurant, Le Cordon Vert. Nine local employers were welcomed by Principal Dr Russell Strutt, and enjoying a meal cooked by trainee chefs and served by trainee Air Cabin Crew students before being given a tour of the training kitchens.

The event gave staff from the College the chance to talk to employers about the types of qualification on offer such as the new Institute of Hospitality Management qualifications, and gave those attending the chance to discuss the industry's training needs as a whole.

Feedback from those who attended suggested it was a very positive experience, with all of the employers expressing a desire to work further with Central Sussex College and suggesting ways in which links could be forged between staff, students and industry.

Clare Skinner, Skills Adviser at Central Sussex College, organised the event which was the first of its kind for the Faculty. She said: "The hospitality and catering sector is one of the area's biggest employers due to the proximity of Gatwick Airport and the College is delighted to have the opportunity to build on the strong links we have already forged with local industry. This event was a great success and we hope to hold a similar event each quarter, giving the College a better understanding of the industry's specific business and training needs."