Millennium Hotels Team host a Teacher Encounter Day

On 22nd July, the Millennium Hotels Team hosted a Teacher Encounter Day at the Copthorne Tara Hotel in Kensington for five staff members from Orchard Hill College Academy Trust. These educators, who support post-16 SEND students, represent the careers educators across the college group.

The Millennium Team commenced the day with an insightful presentation on the Hospitality sector, highlighting Customer Service and the diverse roles within the industry. The presentation also covered the skills necessary for a successful career, from post-16 options to established career paths inclusive of students with SEND to access.

Orchard Hill staff were given a very warm welcome with lunch a guided hotel tour and a ‘mocktail master class’, which invited educators to engage with the hotel staff, to discuss individual pathways into their roles and what a typical day entails. Throughout this process, college staff began to correlate the skills on demonstration and that of their own specific students.  This opportunity further highlighted how the practical skills, customer service techniques, and problem-solving abilities on display could be directly related to the skills they are working on in the classroom to prepare students for the world of work.

After meeting with a variety of hotel staff, there was ample opportunity to brainstorm the skills required for each role within the hotel and explore how these skills could be nurtured in the classroom. The Millennium staff were particularly thoughtful in ensuring that the roles demonstrated were inclusive, aspirational, and achievable for the students at the specialist college.

Once back in the boardroom, educators received an in-depth presentation from HR and the Hotel Management Team on their personal career journeys and insights into the Hospitality sector. During this panel discussion, teachers discussed the threads of commonality in each of the roles, and shared ideas on how these skills can be transferred practically into the classroom through workshops and lesson plans. Ideas were expanded by discussing how these skills can be applied and differentiated to the various levels of individual student need and interest.

The day concluded with an inspiring presentation on apprenticeship opportunities and detailed the application process. The college shared success stories of students who completed apprenticeship programmes previously and secured future employment for those individuals. Both educators and the Hotel provided guidance on how these experiences can challenge industry stereotypes, highlighting apprenticeships as an exciting and viable pathway for everyone, inclusive of those with SEND.