Jobs are waiting for you

Jobs are waiting for you, hospitality industry leader tells Derby’s real-world learners

Hospitality industry leaders Chartwells have given University of Derby students a £10,000 vote of confidence through grants to help them gain work experience in some of the world’s top restaurants and hotels.

New York, Florida, Barcelona and a Michelin-starred restaurant in the UK are among the destinations 12 students are heading for thanks to support from the educational hospitality company, which is part of the international giant The Compass Group.

And Peter Rayner, Contract Director for Chartwells, said the grants were an investment in the future, as the University’s policy of training graduates for the real-world was just what the industry needed.

“Working for the world’s largest food services provider, we know how important it is to the industry to get really good people,”   Peter told the hospitality undergraduates. “We are really pleased to be able to support these are opportunities which may not have been possible without the grants.

“Placements are the epitome of real-world learning. If I could fill my operations with real-world learners like you, that would be fantastic.”

And the industry proved him right by offering so many top-class placements that Rokas Vasiliauskas was spoilt for choice, and is now heading off for the two Michelin-starred Enoteca restaurant in Barcelona as a commis chef.

“I never thought in my one and a half years here I would have five different top class restaurants to choose from,” said Rokas, who is pursuing a Foundation Degree in Professional Culinary Arts.

“When I came to this University I didn’t know anything about the culinary arts. I learned how to be a professional, and it opened my eyes to all the possibilities. 

“We are preparing people to work in the international hospitality industry, which means enabling them to work at the highest level” said Tony Clodd, Head of Culinary, Hospitality and Events Management. 

Other students who won grants were BA (Honours) International Hospitality Management students Eileen Birle and Gareth Williams; BA (Hons) in Hotel Management students Hamouda Lajmi and Innocent Chikwenya; Foundation Degree in Professional Culinary Arts students Hannah Turner and Nicole McKenzie; BA (Hons) in Professional Culinary Management student Lauren Barnes; BA (Hons) in Events Management students Manon Ghequiere and Sinead Keeley; BSc (Hons) in International Spa Management Natasha Stanbury; and BA (Hons) in International Hospitality Management and Culinary Arts Wiktor Witan.