Leisure/Hospitality Courses

Leisure Industry: Overview

Businesses providing accommodation, food and beverages fall under hospitality and leisure. In recent years the hospitality industry in the UK expanded rapidly. This produced a greater need for skilled workers and resulted in an increased need for hospitality in business.

Also providing big business are: events, conferences and meetings.

Expected Salary

• £14,000 to £20,000 - starting salaries for hotel managers
• £18,000 to £19,000 - starting salaries for retaurant managers
• £15,000 to £21,000 - starting salaries for event management

Training

There are several options for qualifications in leisure and hospitality. However, regularly staff will work up the employment ladder, gaining skills and experience on the job.

The length of training for a management position varies but is usually between one and two years.

• Food and beverage management, including restaurants, bars, room service, conference and banqueting
• Rooms management, covering reception, reservations, guest relations, concierge and housekeeping

Underoak
lists many short courses to aid you in your career progression. These may be funded individually or through your company. To search these courses, simply type the relevant key words and click on ‘ Request information for free’ to send your enquiry direct to the trainer.

Related Careers

• Accomodation Manager
• Landlord
• Catering Manager
• Customer Service Manager
• Event Organiser
• Restaurant Manager
• Human Resourse Manager
• Bar Manager

Useful Links

Core Skills

Work experience might include any customer-focused work. Language skills may also be an advantage.

The following skills will be useful:

• Communication and interpersonal skills
• A genuine personality and desire to help others
• The ability to make quick decisions
• A professional manner and calm, rational approach in hectic situations
• The ability to balance customer and business priorities
• Flexibility
• Energy and patience

Job Sites

Average working hours per week

Job Spotlight

Hotel Manager

The Role

With responsibilites for the day-to-day management of a hotel and staff, managers will cover many roles and need to be flexible with a 'can do' atttitude.

The manager should set an example for staff to deliver a standard of service and presentation that meets guests needs and expectations.

Typical work activities vary depending on the hotel, but often include:

• Organising accommodation, catering and other hotel services
• Promoting and marketing the business
• Managing budgets
• Setting and achieving targets
• Recruiting and training staff
• Planning work schedules for individuals and teams
• Meeting and greeting customers
• Dealing with customer complaints and comments
• Addressing problems and troubleshooting
• Ensuring security is effective
• Inspecting property and services
• Ensuring compliance with licensing laws, health and safety and other statutory regulations

Salary:

£25,000–£50,000+ - dependent upon sector and location

Career Development

The hospitality industry is a growing industry with a continuous need for talented, hardworking, energetic and multi-skilled staff. The turn over is high in this sector and therefore there are various opportunities of promotion for motivated people with a 'can do' attitude.