Leicester College has been recognised for providing high quality of training and excellent skills development for hospitality, gaining a Silver Accreditation from the leading industry skills body, the Hospitality Guild.

The College is one of the first to be recognised through the accreditation scheme, which has both Gold and Silver levels and has been developed to recognise and celebrate excellence in the training and qualification delivery.

Leicester College’s Hospitality and Leisure department was commended for its excellent commitment to service and learners, which created a real team spirit and placing it among the best colleges in the country to study hospitality.

In addition to the classroom-based training facilities, Leicester College also offers learners the opportunity to get experience working in a real restaurant through its taste Restaurant, which has also been given an AA College Rosette Award.

Claire Willis, Curriculum Area Manager for Hospitality and Leisure said that she was thrilled with the recognition the College had received.

She said: “We have put a lot of work into making sure our learners get the experience they need through our College restaurant, taste and to have that work recognised, both by the Hospitality Guild and the AA, has been absolutely fantastic.

“We also enjoy excellent links with employers locally and nationally, which gives all of our hospitality and catering learners the best exposure to their future employers. Gaining Silver Accreditation will help demonstrate to employers that we develop highly skilled staff to meet businesses’ needs. We continue to be a champion for the hospitality industry as being an excellent career choice for young people and we are proud to have gained this top level status.”

The accreditation scheme recognises and celebrates good practice and excellence in the delivery of industry qualifications and training and brings together employers and providers in partnership to help raise the professionalism of the hospitality industry. Areas inspected included employer engagement and endorsement, forward planning and the overall quality of teaching and learning.

Annette Allmark, Head of Professionalism at the Hospitality Guild, said that Leicester College was to be commended for the quality of the education it provides.

She said: “We visited the college with industry experts and spoke to a wide range of people, including; employers, lecturers, management and the learners themselves.

“Everything the College does is designed to meet the learners’ needs and make sure that they gain the skills they need to move successfully into employment when they finish.”

The College continues to take enrolments for the 2013 Autumn term and anyone interested in getting more information can visit he colleges’ website:www.leicestercollege.ac.uk