Hospitality & Catering Apprenticeships: The Talent Strategy Many Leaders Overlook

Apprenticeships are back on the agenda for hospitality — but the provider landscape has never been broader, and “what good looks like” can vary massively depending on the model you choose.

Get the model wrong, and apprenticeships become an admin burden. Get it right, and they become a repeatable talent strategy.

To help hospitality leaders make the right call, we spoke to two apprenticeship specialists at different ends of the spectrum: one rooted in a college/university apprenticeship team, and one leading a workplace-led training provider model. Their combined insight is a useful reality check on what drives success, where employers go wrong, and how to choose the provider approach that best fits your operation.

On the college/university side is Stuart Wildsmith from University College Birmingham (UCB). Stuart began his career at the Birmingham College of Food, gaining his OND in Hotel Management alongside City & Guilds chef qualifications. He then spent a decade in London as Operations Manager for a major pub group, before returning to education to support the next generation. Today, he coordinates all hospitality and professional cookery apprenticeships at UCB’s College of Food, mentored the 2024 National Hospitality Apprentice of the Year winner, and also mentors for the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts apprenticeship programme. In recent days, he has been confirmed as a Royal Academy of Culinary Arts Academician for his ongoing services to culinary apprenticeship education.

On the workplace-led provider side is Andrea Dodd, Managing Director of Performance Learning Group (PLG). Andrea is highly experienced in designing and delivering contemporary blended learning programmes that combine technology with traditional delivery. She has worked predominantly with multi-site organisations across hospitality, retail and the motor vehicle sector, and has recently operationally managed the opening and set-up of work-based training providers on a national scale. Her focus is on making apprenticeships accessible and workable for real operations, not just for school leavers, but for existing team members, career changers and returners too, so that development can happen at every level.

Although each provider offers something different, their message is consistent: apprenticeships can be a powerful workforce strategy — but results depend on choosing the right provider model and taking employer support seriously.

What an apprenticeship is (and what it isn’t)

An apprenticeship isn’t work experience, and it isn’t a classroom course dressed up as employment. Apprentices are employees from day one — paid, contracted, part of the team — while working towards a recognised qualification.

Crucially, apprenticeships are designed to fit around real service. Apprentices complete paid off-the-job training, supported by a training provider that helps structure learning and progress.

The factor that decides whether apprenticeships work

Apprenticeships succeed or fail less on the framework and more on the partnership.

As Stuart puts it: “Strong partnerships drive apprenticeship success. The relationship between the employer and the training provider is the single biggest factor in whether an apprentice thrives. When both are aligned, apprentices receive consistent guidance, clear expectations, and the support they need to succeed.”

That alignment is what turns an apprenticeship from “another thing to manage” into a workforce strategy that consistently delivers.

The apprenticeship framework matters — but partnership is what makes it work.

Why completion varies — and why employer support is decisive

Choosing the right provider matters, but leaders should be open-eyed: the employer’s role is often the difference between a thriving apprentice and an early leaver.

Stuart highlights that national apprenticeship pass rates are around 64%, meaning fewer than two-thirds complete their programmes. For employers new to apprenticeships, early challenges can feel discouraging — some blame themselves; others assume “young people today” are the problem. In reality, Stuart says most apprentices who leave early cite insufficient support from their employer as the key reason.

The fix isn’t more pressure — it’s a clearer plan.

Treat the apprentice as a valued member of the team:

* provide a full induction

* schedule regular check-ins

* assign a mentor

* take an active interest in coursework and progress

University College Birmingham’s guide reinforces the importance of structured support, including regular progress reviews and shared commitments between apprentice, employer and provider.

Provider models campus-based vs workplace-led (and how to choose)

One of the reasons employers get mixed results is that they choose a provider model that doesn’t match their operation.

Campus-based (college/university) model

Often works well where employers want a more formal academic structure alongside workplace learning, and where the business has the rota flexibility to release apprentices for longer blocks.

Workplace-led provider model

Designed to keep learning close to the job, minimise time away from site, and build stronger relationships with the team around the apprentice.

Andrea describes PLG’s approach: “We bespoke every single programme to that individual employer… we do not deliver off-the-shelf models as every employer has different language, vision and values; so their programmes need to reflect that and have complete return on investment for them.”

For leaders, the point isn’t that one route is universally “better” — it’s that the provider has to fit your business, your people, and what you want the apprenticeship to achieve.

What employer profile gets the best results?

Andrea says the best fit is an employer that genuinely supports training — ensuring apprentices get what they need from managers and peers. If an organisation is doing apprenticeships primarily to save money or chase funding, it’s not a great fit.

This aligns with Stuart’s point: apprenticeships are a long-term investment, and outcomes depend on the consistency of support in the workplace.

Admin burden: what can be handled for you?

A common barrier is admin. Andrea’s view is that most employers don’t need more paperwork — they need a provider who behaves like a training arm of the business. I ask her which parts of the admin are handled by you end-to-end? “From an employer’s perspective, most of the admin. Our team at PLG acts as a training arm to the business, so we take on as much as we can to save time for the employer. The apprentices and mentors will have admin through their programme, but are supported by their trainer.” 

Outcomes leaders should track (not just completion)

Andrea highlights measuring beyond completion — including retention, progression, promotions, and also ROI and cost saving across the overall programme. That’s the language leaders care about: “Is it improving performance? Are we promoting more internally? Are we reducing agency use?”

On results, Andrea’s position is clear: completion and retention vary by programme, but their completion rates are typically around 70% (stated as over 20% higher than the national average), with retention at 98% across programmes — with the strongest results coming when employers protect learning time and give full support. 

At that point, apprenticeships stop being a training initiative and start becoming a performance lever.

Building performance and protecting people

One part of apprenticeship delivery that is often overlooked is the opportunity to strengthen wellbeing alongside skills — not as an optional extra, but as part of building sustainable teams.

Andrea explains that PLG partners with The Burnt Chef Project, and as a result, mental health and wellbeing are built into all PLG programmes. The rationale is straightforward: developing chefs, FOH talent, and managers isn’t only about technical capability — it’s also about equipping people to cope with pressure, communicate effectively, and contribute positively to team culture in demanding environments.

She also notes that PLG has designed specific Management, Mental Health and Wellbeing apprenticeship pathways, aimed at helping employers develop leaders who can drive performance while reducing burnout and improving retention.

In a sector where stress and turnover are often treated as inevitable, embedding wellbeing into development can be a practical lever for keeping good people — and helping them thrive.

Recruiting apprentices vs upskilling existing teams

Apprenticeships aren’t only for “new starters”. They can be a development route for people already delivering value.

Andrea flags a key step when upskilling existing staff: a skills scan to confirm there is enough “significant learning” — ensuring the programme is genuinely developmental, not simply accreditation.

When recruiting, she describes an end-to-end approach: advertising (including on the government portal), screening applicants against the employer’s requirements, and presenting suitable candidates for interview.

High-pressure kitchens and busy operations: is it realistic?

Yes — if a few conditions are non-negotiable.

Andrea’s view is that most hospitality businesses are high-pressure and still run successful programmes; the difference is whether the employer dedicates time for learning and provides support. One practical detail she calls out: rotas. “Ensuring the apprentices are rota’d onto shift when they have their apprentice appointment is key.”

Workplace-led training can also reduce operational friction: PLG trainers go to the site, build relationships with the wider team, and deliver teaching sessions in shorter blocks — “a couple of hours” — so the apprentice isn’t lost for an entire day.

Busting two persistent myths: age and cost

Myth #1: “Apprenticeships are for 16-year-olds who know nothing.”

Andrea calls this the number one myth. Apprenticeships can support career changers, returners, and existing staff at different levels.

Myth #2: “Costs are unclear — or it’s all free.”

Andrea’s simple explanation: levy-paying employers can fund training via the levy; smaller employers may receive government funding depending on circumstances — but employers still pay wages because apprentices are employees.

She also points to a commonly missed saving: NI relief for apprentices under 25, which can change the cost conversation for some businesses.

Start with one, embed it, then scale

A common misstep is taking on several apprentices at once, “to see how it goes,” as Stuart tells me. In practice, the most effective approach is to start with one, embed the process into your workforce strategy, and grow from there.

Apprenticeships are a long-term investment, not a quick fix — but once the rhythm is established, it becomes repeatable: a reliable route to developing commis, CDPs, FOH talent, supervisors and future managers.

Stuart continues, “…having a clear strategy in place is essential. Work with your provider to plan how your apprentice will be supported from day one. Treat them as a valued member of the team: provide a full induction, schedule regular check‑ins, assign a mentor, and take an active interest in their coursework.”

And apprenticeships aren’t only entry-level. They exist at multiple levels — from intermediate through to degree-level programmes — which creates opportunities to develop people already in your team, not just new starters.

A supported route to extraordinary careers

Not every apprenticeship works. But the upside is substantial when the fundamentals are right: the right provider, clear expectations, and meaningful workplace support.

As Stuart says, “Not all apprenticeships work. However, we have numerous stories of people who have not only got on after doing a Hospitality or Culinary apprenticeship, but done extremely well and are on the journey to extraordinary careers.”

Andrea’s summary of what good delivery looks like reinforces the same theme: “Performance Learning Group is all about the quality of learning, creating clearly defined development pathways for people who want to create a rewarding career, whilst empowering employers to grow their business by harnessing its internal and local talent through work-based training and development.”

For hospitality businesses focused on stability, standards and succession, that’s the point. Apprenticeships aren’t a distraction from running the operation – they’re a way to stop endlessly replacing people and start deliberately developing the next generation of hospitality leaders.

Choosing the right provider model that suits you

There isn’t a single “best” provider — the right choice depends on your operation, your aims, and what you need the programme to deliver. But as both Stuart and Andrea emphasise, apprenticeships are a long-term answer to the talent challenge and remain hugely underused across hospitality. They’re designed to build capability and retention over time — so if you’re simply trying to plug a short-term gap, an apprenticeship route is unlikely to be the right fit.