IN ASSOCIATION WITH
Natalia Arrabali: Novotel London West
‘It has opened so many doors for me’ Rikki Slater didn’t start his first apprenticeship until years into his career, but he is now head chef at the Plough Inn in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, where he is responsible for the day-to- day running of the kitchen and overseeing all the food production and menus, as well as managing a team of three chefs. Now, he wants to make sure others don’t have to wait so long. Slater started as a pot-washer at the Axe & Compass pub in nearby Hinckley during the school holidays and progressed to chef de partie before moving to the Plough Inn in 2012. “I had been working at the
Plough for a year when I was introduced to HIT Training and the training and apprenticeship courses it provides,” Slater says. “Having never received any formal training, I
knew there would be a number of things I didn’t know, so I enrolled on a level 2 professional cookery apprenticeship and have never looked back. “I learned so much and
developed as a chef on this course. As soon as I finished I went straight on to do a level 3 professional cookery apprenticeship and then directly onto my level 3 hospitality supervision and leadership apprenticeship, which I am currently doing. Once I complete this qualification, I hope to do the level 4 qualification.” Apprenticeships have been
invaluable in helping Slater build his career. “Although I had received brilliant training from the chefs at my first job, the apprenticeship has opened so many doors for me and allowed me to be the best chef I can be,” he says. Slater would recommend anyone
who wants to build a career within hospitality to look into apprenticeships: “The support I’ve had from HIT Training has been a massive part of my development and my trainer assessor has gone above and beyond to provide me with opportunities to grow and learn new skills. Doing an apprenticeship has not only benefited my development, it has also helped the business I work for and my team, so much so that I have enrolled some members of my team on to apprenticeships with HIT Training.” And he won’t be stopping there. “I am passionate about helping the younger generation embark on careers in hospitality in the same way that I was supported when I started out. Ultimately, I want to pass on what I’ve learned to other young people by becoming a trainer/assessor for a company like HIT or a chef-lecturer,” he says.
“The support I’ve had from HIT Training has been a massive part of my development and my trainer assessor has gone above and beyond to provide me with opportunities to grow” Rikki Slater
She’s everything I ever wanted in an apprentice’ Louise Roberts first discovered the hospitality industry through a two-week work placement organised by Springboard UK in 2011. Five years on, she has completed her professional cookery apprenticeship through contract caterer Lexington’s Lex School of Talent, won multiple awards, worked under Michelin- starred chefs and secured a position as junior sous chef at one of Lexington’s biggest contracts. “I’ve always been the sort of person to want more
and throw myself out there, and Lexington has supported me in everything I do,” she says. The company’s apprenticeship scheme, devised in
conjunction with SpringboardUK and the University of West London, offers full-time paid employment in a Lexington contract along with study at university one day a week to gain NVQ qualifications, mentoring by a Lexington head chef and development chef throughout, and guaranteed employment with Lexington, as well as job swaps and a culinary competition. But for Roberts, who completed her apprenticeship
in 2014, the best bit about being an apprentice and subsequently working at Lexington was that the company pushed her beyond the limits of both the apprenticeship scheme and her role. For example, in
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“I’ve always been the sort of person to want more and throw myself out there, and Lexington has supported
me in everything I do” Louise Roberts
2015 she was encouraged to take part in – and won – the Chef Stagiaire Award, which was launched to discover the most talented young British chefs. Her prize? An all-expenses-paid, two-week trip to work at the Michelin-starred Joël Robuchon restaurant in Las Vegas before flying on to the Six Senses Zighy Bay Resort in Oman. “It was amazing to see the other side of cooking,” says Roberts. “I’d 100% love to cook in Michelin-starred restaurants in the future!” Rob Kirby, chef-director at Lexington, certainly
hasn’t regretted taking Roberts on. “Louise’s attitude and enthusiasm is unlike any other I’ve seen in this industry for a long time,” he says. “She is one of our first apprentices and is everything that I ever wanted in an apprentice. She has a can-do approach, a great work ethic and I can see her becoming an ambassador for not just our apprenticeship scheme, but for the whole industry.”
‘I’d like to advance to a managerial role’ Natalia Arrabali, now group reservations supervisor at the 630-room hotel Novotel London West, fell into the hospitality industry by chance, but the more involved she’s got, the more she’s enjoying it. It all started when Arrabali
moved to England seven years ago and started looking for admin roles. “I happened upon a role as a receptionist in a three- star hotel via a recruitment agency. Working there gave me an appetite to explore the industry further,” she says. She moved to AccorHotels in August 2015 as a supervisor and was given the opportunity to apply for a supervision hospitality level 3 NVQ apprenticeship from the company’s internal team. Her apprenticeship works
in direct correlation with her day-to-day job as a group supervisor. “Although my apprentice tutor runs through the theoretical aspects of hospitality supervision, my day-to-day job puts the theory into practice,” she explains. “I manage a team of three group reservationists, dealing with group clients – such as large businesses or party guests – right from their first interaction with the hotel, processing enquiries and deciding on group rates, all the way through to invoices on their departures.” For Arrabali the best thing
about working in hospitality is the progression it offers. “The industry is ever-changing, and there are opportunities in many different areas, from sales and reservations to front of house and management roles. The development initiatives offered at AccorHotels open up opportunities throughout your career, ensuring you always have something to work towards.” While Arrabali is happy where she is, she doesn’t plan to stay still for long. “I am interested in sales, reservations and revenue, and maybe in the future I would like to advance to a managerial role in this part of the industry.”
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