Pizza Hut launches service-focused apprenticeship

15-May-2013 - Last updated on 16-May-2013 at 13:51 GMT

Pizza Hut will offer 100 members of staff its 'guest experience' apprenticeship this year

Pizza Hut has launched an apprenticeship scheme for front-of-house staff that will aim to turn them into 'experts in the art of customer service and hospitality'.

The new scheme, developed and delivered in partnership with Tribal and awarding body EDI, will this year see 100 people take up the year-long apprenticeship before it is rolled out across the 330-strong restaurant group next year.

Apprentices will be taught how best to engage and interact with customers while learning Pizza Hut's key service 'mantras' to help the restaurant chain, which serves three million customers a month, deliver high standards. Those who complete the apprenticeship will also earn themselves a Guest Experience Intermediate Apprenticeship with Technical certificate.

Kathryn Austin, HR director of Pizza Hut Restaurants UK said: “Our change journey to date has meant an enormous investment in the training and engagement of our employees. This apprenticeship is an industry first, and demonstrative of the authenticity and belief in people that is at the core of Pizza Hut.

“Too often hospitality is overlooked as an industry with progression possibilities - these new apprenticeship schemes will help our employees earn skills and responsibilities that will facilitate their next step up the career ladder, while giving them the freedom to deliver sincere, heartfelt service.”

Apprenticeship leader

News of Pizza Hut's scheme comes as the findings from Barclays Corporate Banking’s Job Creation Survey show that the hospitality and leisure industry is one of the most open to apprenticeships.

In the last year 31 per cent of the hospitality and leisure businesses surveyed said they had taken on apprentices and a further 44 per cent – the highest percentage of any sector – plan to take on further apprentices this year.

Mike Saul, head of hospitality and leisure at Barclays, said: “The hospitality and leisure sector plays an important role in the UK economy - making up more than 10 per cent of the workforce. It’s great to see that it recognises the importance of the role it plays in supporting the up and coming generation of workers.

"We have already seen positive steps being taken to support young people, with some of London’s top hoteliers pledging 1,000 new jobs for 16-24 year olds within the next two years, and it’s great that there is a drive to ensure this continues to gathers momentum.”

The survey found that 27 per cent of businesses in all industries plan to take on apprentices this year with smaller companies less likely to offer apprenticeships than larger ones.

Pizza Hut is hiring. View the latest jobs on our sister website job.bighospitality.co.uk.