Jill Whittaker, Managing Director of HIT Training Ltd, Awarded OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours
Dec 13 2022
Jill Whittaker, Managing Director of HIT Training, Connect2Care, and the Executive Development Network has been awarded an OBE in The Queen’s Birthday Honours list, announced on Thursday 2nd June. The honour has been bestowed on Jill following her outstanding services to apprenticeships in hospitality, care, and management.
During her career, Jill has impressively helped around 100,000 employees complete their apprenticeships or gain the qualifications they’ve needed to embark on long and fulfilling careers across a wide range of sectors.
She is well-known for her unwavering passion to drive the future of apprenticeships and works tirelessly to improve the experience of working in industries such as hospitality, adult care, management, early years education and funeral care.
Her passion transcends into exceptional charitable work, working closely with charities such as Hospitality Action, The Springboard Charity, Only A Pavement Away, and The Clink Charity. Furthermore, her well-regarded opinion also sees her representing education across industries, including providing evidence for the likes of the House of Commons Select Committees on Education, Health, and Social Care and All-Party Parliamentary Groups for both Apprentices and Tourism, Leisure, and Hospitality.
As a Fellow for a variety of leading organisations such as the Institute of Hospitality, the Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA), and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), she volunteers to mentor others and shares her understanding of the markets to fight for greater development opportunities to strengthen the future of these industries.
On being recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2022, Jill said:
“I am hugely grateful to have been chosen for this prestigious honour. I’ve had the pleasure of working alongside a vast number of talented individuals and industry bodies during my career and I’m extremely proud of the positive change we’ve achieved in that time.
“I look forward to continuing my work and collaborating with colleagues as well as charitable partners and organisations that I hold close to my heart, to continue supporting the future leaders of the industry, and enabling workers to be the best they can be.”
Related articles
Britain’s First Job Problem: Why Career Starter Sectors Matter
Access Global Opportunities for Your Apprentices
Deliveroo Launches New Chef Apprenticeship Fund to Tackle Skills Shortage
HIT Training Apprentice Becomes First to Achieve New Hospitality Supervisor Apprenticeship
The Young National Chef of the Year Finalists Have Been Revealed
Winners of Fired Up and Un-Tapped Apprentice Competitions 2023 announced
HIT Heroes Award Winners 2023
Budget Reflections: Key Impacts on Skills and Training
Grow your team with retail apprenticeships
The Real Barrier to Exceptional Hospitality Isn’t What You Think
How to Solve Your Staffing Problems with Apprenticeships
HIT Training and The Clink Charity announce new partnership to launch apprenticeships for serving prisoners
HIT’s UnTapped Brewer Competition is back for 2025
HIT Untapped competition: Meet the 2026 Stars of Brewing
HIT Training welcomes Government’s Fully Funded Apprenticeship Initiative for Small Businesses
It’s Time to Take Unnecessary Food Waste off the Menu
HIT’s exciting brewing competition is back for 2024
Helping Neurodiverse Professionals Succeed in Hospitality
Don’t Waste: The Future of Hospitality
Meet our six Salon Culinaire apprentices!
HIT Training Features for Fourth Time in The Sunday Times’ Top 100 Best Companies to Work for’
Rising stars of the UK culinary scene revealed for Young National Chef of the Year final
Mental Health Awareness Week – Dealing with Anxiety
Join us for a summer of learning at HIT Training!
Vacherin’s Nick Smith Crowned Winner of the Craft Guild of Chefs’ National Chef of the Year
HIT Training and BII Collaborate on a Series of Ready to Reopen Webinars
The Opportunity Provider (TOP) ranked 28th in The Sunday Times Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers
HIT Training Ltd Receives ‘Good’ Ofsted Rating for 14th Consecutive Year
An Industry Collaboration
How to Offer a Degree Apprenticeship for Employers
The Opportunity Provider and Scrumptious Marketing Announce Strategic Employer Branding Partnership
HIT Celebrates Hospitality Day
Future-Proof Your Business and Save Big: National Insurance Savings for Employers of Apprentices Under 25
Apprentice Drew Dawson Crowned Winner of Toque D’or® 2019
Protecting the Future of the Sector: Hospitality Businesses Pledge to Fund Apprenticeships Outside Their Organisation
Institute of Hospitality and HIT Training Invest in the Industry’s Future
HIT Training Ltd Earns Prestigious Gold Membership in The 5% Club
Three Signs your Employees are Reaching Burnout – and How to Support Them
HIT Training LTD Receives Royal Recognition for Outstanding Training Impact
HIT Training Ltd Wins Excellence in English and Maths Skills Development at the Apprenticeship and Training Awards
HIT Training Ltd strengthens its board with four new Directors
The Future Hospitality Workforce: What Will it Look Like Following COVID-19?
HIT Training Ltd named “Learning Provider of the Year” at the 2025 Multicultural Apprenticeship Awards
Creating a Learn-it-All Culture
HIT Training Ltd scoops the award for Best Training Provider at the prestigious Apprenticeship Guide Awards
New movement to tackle gender inequality in the kitchen
Developing an Apprenticeship Strategy
Untapped – HIT Training’s Brewer Apprentice Competition
Brewer Apprentices Celebrate Success at 2025 Graduation and Untapped Awards
The Power of Adding Plant-Based to your Menu
Government announces major youth employment drive and apprenticeship reforms
HIT Training Offers Chartered Management Degree Apprenticeship to Drive Business Improvement
HIT Training Launches Suite of Training Courses and Workshops to Upskill Hospitality Teams
Turn a first job into a future career with a foundation apprenticeship
HIT Launches New Fish Friers Apprenticeship
HIT Training First to Launch New Qualification for Health and Social Care Sector
Sodexo partners with HIT to gift £250k of levy to support hospitality apprentices
Functional Skills: The Cornerstone of Apprenticeships
Center Parcs Celebrates Apprentice Trailblazers
Train your staff through hospitality apprenticeships
Sodexo Culinary Academy focuses on inspiring and elevating chefs at every level
Update to our company name
Three Ways to Keep your Staff Motivated and Inspired During Lockdown 3.0
HIT produces 1500 free meals on National Hospitality Day
How to Inspire Young People to Choose a Career in Hospitality
HIT Training Ltd announces new Managing Director Mike Worley
HIT Training Ltd Celebrates Prestigious Gold Membership of The 5% Club for Second Year Running
‘The Super Six’ Unveiled
How to Overcome Misconceptions and Unleash Employee Potential
The Apprenticeship Levy One Year on
Harness the Power of Plant Based: One Bite at a Time
HIT Training Ltd Embarks on the Journey to Net Zero with Planet Mark Certification
HIT Training Ltd Receives Matrix Standard
What employers need to know about new funding rules
HIT Training Ltd. Publishes White Paper on Apprenticeship Reforms and Workforce Development
The Newt in Somerset Unveils ‘Elevate’ – A Bespoke Hospitality Academy in partnership with HIT Training
Jill Whittaker Takes Top Honour at the 2024 Multicultural Apprenticeship Awards
HIT Training Launches Free Workshops to Help Close the Chef Skills Gap in the Capital
HIT Training Ltd Signs New Business Drive to Help The Nation Through COVID-19 Crisis
Industry Collaboration Launches Talent Hub to Inspire and Retain Next Generation of Hospitality Professionals
National Apprenticeship Awards 2020 – Open for Entries!
What we Can Learn from the Industry About Infection Control
HIT celebrates new tri-nation partnership
New Principal appointed to HIT Chef Academy
HIT Heroes Award Winners Announced for 2021
From First Job to Future Career
Integrating Plant Based Food into your Menu
Employee-owned training group signals long-term commitment to UK skills with new name
HIT’s Executive Chair Jill Whittaker OBE wins award for ‘Outstanding Contribution to the Industry’
Hospitality Apprentices Impress at HIT Masterchef Finals
‘Forward with Marcus Wareing’ programme expands following huge success
Gravetye Manor chef takes the top spot in Young National Chef of the Year
How the ‘Mini-Budget’ Supports Employers, Training and Skills Development
All Change – It’s Time to Reserve Your Apprenticeship Funding!
Culture of Craft – The Rise of the Craft Apprenticeship
What is the Apprenticeship Levy?
HIT Training Ltd moves to employee ownership
Employer Newsletter – We’re here to stay
HIT Training Ltd Welcomes Government Reforms to Functional Skills and Shorter Apprenticeships
Flexi-apprenticeships are the Answer to the Dwindling Hospitality Workforce