Newcastle College has joined forces with Newcastle’s newest hotel, Dakota, to support the development of future hospitality talent in the North East.
Dakota Hotels, a growing UK-based lifestyle brand, is known for its 'stylish' hotels, brasserie grills, and cocktail bars. The Newcastle branch opened in March and offers waterfront luxury alongside some of the largest hotel bedrooms and suites in the city.
This collaboration begins with the introduction of an Apprentice Commis Chef but will soon extend beyond apprenticeships to offer opportunities to those looking to build a career in tourism.
Jon Ridley, Principal of Newcastle College, said: "We are so pleased to welcome Dakota to Newcastle and to be working in partnership with them to develop the future talent of our region’s tourism industry.
"Partnerships such as these are key to developing a skilled and talented workforce, helping to ensure our students gain the skills, knowledge and experience they will need to flourish in their future career."
Samantha Ainsley, Head of Apprenticeships at Newcastle College, added: "It is fantastic to welcome Dakota on board and work in partnership with them to expand their team with an apprentice.
"Apprenticeships are the pinnacle of education, offering a direct route to employment, with a qualification and salary to support, and I look forward to supporting Dakota find the right person for their team and develop our partnership for the future."
Bethany MacKenzie, People and Culture Manager of Dakota Newcastle, said: "We’ve had a really good experience with Newcastle College so far. The Apprenticeships Team has been an excellent support to us, and I hope that we’ll be expanding our apprenticeship offer in the future here at Dakota.
"It is important to us as a new arrival to the city that we support those looking to begin a career in our industry and we hope to do that in collaboration with the college, which has a fantastic reputation for developing talent for the sector."
Newcastle College already works closely with employers across the North East to deliver a wide range of training options for the hospitality and tourism sectors, designed to meet evolving skills needs and help achieve the region’s ambitions to grow its visitor economy.