People 1st launches Apprentice 1st online portal for hospitality businesses

21-Oct-2012 - Last updated on 26-Apr-2021 at 18:38 GMT

Apprentice 1st allows hospitality employers, learners and training providers to access all aspects of an apprenticeship from a single screen online

Sector skills council People 1st has launched Apprentice 1st, an online portal which allows employers, learners and training providers to access all aspects of an apprenticeship, including coursework, assessments and practical training material, from a single screen online.

Product details:

People 1st worked with training provider Exemplas to develop the product, which is designed to meet the specific needs of small to medium-sized employers, although it can also be used within larger organisations.

According to the People 1st State of the Nation 2011 report, 45 per cent of businesses in hospitality and tourism would consider employing apprentices. However, often barriers such as paperwork and lack of flexibility are preventing employers from taking on apprentices.

Apprentice 1st addresses these barriers and encourages more businesses to take on apprentices for the benefit of the company and the individuals.

USP:

For the first time in the hospitality industry, through Apprentice 1st assessors, mentors and employers can get real-time and accurate updates on the learner’s progress from one portal.

This also means learners spend less time away from the workplace, and more time making the most of the incredible opportunities provided by on-the-job training.

Availability:

The product was developed with small and medium businesses in mind, but it can also be used by larger organisations.

It is initially available for the following apprenticeship frameworks:

Level 2 Professional Cookery
Level 2 Food and Beverage Service
Level 2 Food Production and Catering

Traditional paper-based apprenticeship delivery methods are also available for other hospitality frameworks. For information, visit www.apprentice1st.co.uk

Price:

Prices vary depending on the length of the apprenticeship and the number of learners enrolled. For more information, email vasb@ncceragvpr1fg.pb.hx

Why should you buy it?

Ingrid Newbould, HR director at independent contract caterer Bartlett Mitchell, believes that apprenticeships are a critical part of recruitment in hospitality and that the Apprentice 1st model will be invaluable in streamlining the delivery of apprenticeships in the company.

“We have started to offer apprenticeship schemes across our business as we find them a great way to introduce bright and enthusiastic staff into our business,” said Newbould. “We looked around at products on offer and it was clear that Apprentice 1st is flexible and means we can provide our apprentices with the best possible learning experience.

“The team has made the journey really easy for us to get started. The real focus is on getting good people into work and the training of skills in this scheme is fantastic: just what we were looking for. Using technology to help deliver first class apprenticeships is something that will benefit the whole hospitality industry and encourage more businesses to take up an apprentice: it hits the spot for apprentices.”

Additional information:

The subject of apprenticeships in hospitality was a big talking point at BigHospitality’s Panel Discussion at The Restaurant Show earlier this month. One issue highlighted was that employers can often be put off by the bureaucracy surrounding an apprenticeship scheme (which this product aims to tackle).

Read a full report of that discussion here.