Four catering colleges endorsed by Hospitality Academy

The first four colleges to be given an excellence rating for the way they deliver their chef qualifications have been named by the National Skills Academy for Hospitality.

Westminster Kingsway, Leeds Thomas Danby, Newcastle College and University College Birmingham received the endorsement at the Professional Association for Catering Education awards last week.

The endorsement means the colleges will be able to offer the new benchmark for excellence in hospitality training at levels one, two and three to this year’s students and beyond. The idea behind the scheme is that it also gives employers a greater understanding of what exact skills graduates have.

David McHattie, chief executive of the NSA for Hospitality, said: “The FE sector has an incredibly important role to play in the development of our future chef talent - and it is essential that employers know which qualification they should seek and who delivers it to students with excellence.

"These four colleges not only serve employers with skilled chefs, they also provide students with the very best foundations for a long and successful career. By shining a light on the excellence found we promote the best and increase awareness of the great career prospects there are in the industry, ultimately ensuring that through working together we raise the standards of training throughout the hospitality industry."

The Diploma in Professional Cookery, which will be available at all four colleges, was developed by People1st to meet future skill needs of the industry.

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