People Awards 2024: Partnership Award – Red Carnation Hotels

Shortlist

• Forward with Marcus Wareing – HIT Training and Compass Group UK & Ireland
• Red Carnation Hotels
• Umbrella Training

The winner of the Partnership Award has worked with both experts and its competitors in an inspiring and innovative response to one of the most enduring issues faced by the sector.

When Brexit served up the first blow to recruitment, Red Carnation Hotels knew it needed to think creatively about how it could attract and grow the next generation of talent. In 2018, the hotel group partnered with Pearson College and the University of Kent to offer degree apprenticeships, becoming the first hotel company to do so.

Apprentices worked within the business four days week, with one day set aside for study, and at the end of three years earned a chartered business studies degree. The original course proved hugely successful, with 100% of apprentices earning their degrees – however, the broad nature of study meant many did not remain in hospitality.

In response, Red Carnation Hotels looked to offer a specific hospitality degree, to focus on those interested in pursuing a career in the industry. The hotel group went on to partner with the University of Gloucestershire and, to ensure it could offer opportunities to enough students to meet the provider’s requirements, it also invited its competitors to join the initiative. The Dorchester, Grosvenor House and PPHE Hotel Group all partnered with Red Carnation Hotels to enrol 16 students on a hospitality degree apprenticeship.

The results have been impressive, with graduates going on to pursue careers in the industry. One 2022 graduate is now front office manager at the Milestone hotel in Kensington in London, and following two promotions a classmate is talent development officer at Red Carnation Hotels, overseeing the current cohort of apprentices.

As well as bringing benefits to the industry, the initiative has created an affordable avenue to higher education, with most of the graduates having come from economically challenged boroughs in London. 

Developing the programme was hugely ambitious with the partner the hotel groups collaborating fully, which meant aligning salary levels to ensure they were not competing with each other for graduates.

The success of the initiative has been recognised by the wider industry and it is now being adopted by the Ned hotel and members’ club in the City. Meanwhile, the original partner hotels are recruiting the next cohort of students to begin their studies in January 2025.

Judges’ comments

Moira Laird, human resources director, Valor Hospitality: “This is an ambitious and innovative activity, to attract graduate level individuals into the industry, allowing them to get a degree without the financial burden of university fees.”

People and culture consultant Sean Wheeler: “[Red Carnation Hotels] saw a development gap and created an innovative solution to offer a work-placed degree. The business has worked hard to improve outcomes and is now successfully growing it in partnership with a number of other hoteliers, which is starting to gain momentum.”