Barton Grange Hotel invests in bespoke management and graduate training

Barton Grange Hotel has joined forces with Cedar Training  to offer an improved management and staff development opportunity for its teams, as well as offering eight places on its new graduate training  scheme for hospitality recruits.

Following extensive refurbishment in 2015 and again this year, and the subsequent growth in business demands, Hotel general manager Daniel Rich has worked with Cedar Training to develop a 12-month management training course for managers and supervisors currently working within the Hotel, with an emphasis placed on upskilling its existing teams.

The management course includes elements focusing on staff development , communication skills and leadership skills.

On a mission to also inspire new recruits to the hospitality sector, Daniel Rich is working with Manchester Metropolitan University by taking on one of its Hospitality and Tourism degree students for a year’s work placement, and the Hotel is recruiting for up to eight participants to join its team as part of its Barton Grange Graduate Training Programme.

The two-year course is designed to help create the hospitality managers of the future with both front of house and operational modules included in the content.

It also includes time spent developing practical skills with a six month stint in the hotel’s kitchen developing the its food and beverage offering as well working alongside the managerial and customer service teams.

Daniel Rich, general manager of the Barton Grange Hotel, said: “It’s vitally important that as an independent Hotel we invest in developing our teams, offering them continual training programmes that enhance their skills, and at the end of the day, ensure that the customer service at the hotel is warm, friendly and always exceptional.

“We passionately believe in training our workforce and ensuring they progress through the ranks, allowing us to retain their skills and experience for many years whilst constantly setting the individual new goals and opportunities to develop.

"I firmly believe that investing in their training improves staff motivation, morale and ultimately makes us an attractive employer. It is here that an independent hotel can outshine brand competitors.

"With our teams fully engaged with the Hotel’s passion for individual service, genuinely motivated in their role and constantly learning new skills, it is the guest that benefits by a high level of customer service.

“Ensuring that the hospitality sector is constantly evolving and developing its skills is essential to appealing to new recruits and also ensure that the standards here in the UK are maintained, and improved. "Being an independent venue doesn’t mean that we can’t offer professional development or help to bring new people into our industry – I see it as a core part of our social and professional responsibility and would encourage other hoteliers to jump on board.”