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Hospitality has the power to do more than provide a first job. It can build confidence, unlock potential and open the door to a career with real progression.
For employers, it is an opportunity to bring fresh talent into the business and develop people around the skills, standards and values you need.
Our Catering and Hospitality Foundation Apprenticeship helps you do exactly that. You provide the opportunity, HIT provides the structured training and support, and the apprentice gains the foundations they need to build a career.
Employ an eligible foundation apprentice aged 16 to 21 and you could receive up to £2,000.
What is a foundation apprenticeship?
A foundation apprenticeship is a Level 2 programme that combines a real job with structured training.
The young person is employed from day one, earning while they learn and gaining hands-on experience in a hospitality workplace.
They will develop essential employability skills, including teamwork, communication and professionalism, alongside practical knowledge in food preparation, customer service, health and safety.
For employers, it offers a practical way to recruit for potential, widen your talent pool and build the skills your business will need in the future.
A clear pathway from first opportunity to future career
A foundation apprenticeship is not a destination. It is the first step in a longer career journey.
1. Open the door
Recruit a young person into a real hospitality role and give them their first opportunity to show what they can do.
2. Build strong foundations
Over a minimum of eight months, they develop practical hospitality knowledge, workplace experience and the confidence to succeed.
3. Take the next step
After completing the programme, they can progress to a full Level 2 or Level 3 apprenticeship that matches their role and ambitions.
4. Grow a career
As their skills and responsibilities grow, they can continue progressing into specialist, supervisory and leadership roles within your business.
It gives the young person somewhere to start and somewhere to go. For your business, it creates a clear pipeline of skilled, motivated talent.
Who is it for?
Foundation apprenticeships are primarily designed for young people aged 16 to 21 who are taking their first steps into employment.
They are also available to eligible people aged 22 to 24 who have an Education, Health and Care Plan, or who are care leavers or prison leavers.
How does the training work?
Every apprentice is assigned a dedicated HIT Vocational Trainer.
Working with you and the apprentice, they will create a personalised learning and development plan with clear activities, milestones and preparation for the apprenticeship assessment.
The Vocational Trainer will meet with the apprentice regularly, both online and face to face, to:
You provide the opportunity and day-to-day workplace experience. We provide the training, structure and dedicated support.
Invest in potential and receive up to £2,000
Employers can receive up to £2,000 for each eligible foundation apprentice aged 16 to 21, paid in stages:
Eligibility criteria and apprenticeship funding rules apply.
Where could the pathway lead?
After completing the Catering and Hospitality Foundation Apprenticeship, the apprentice could progress to:
Level 2 apprenticeships
Level 3 apprenticeships
This allows you to keep developing your apprentice as their confidence, skills and value to the business grow.
Give someone their start. Build your future workforce.
Your next great team member might not have years of experience or a long CV yet. They may simply need someone to open the door.
Give a young person their first opportunity and create a clear pathway towards a lasting hospitality career.
Discover the Catering and Hospitality Foundation Apprenticeship
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