Tag: scholarships

HIT Scotland industry scholarships give a boost to hospitality talent

The Hospitality Industry Trust (HIT) Scotland, is celebrating the successful completion of 414 scholarships in the last 12 months, as applications open once again for the 2025 programme.

Established in 1994, HIT Scotland’s extensive scholarship programme offers aspiring hospitality professionals in Scotland the opportunity to develop key skills, knowledge and practical experience to advance their careers.

Last year’s intake saw 414 recipients accept scholarships covering a wide range of topics including ‘Patisserie Chef Skills, ‘Spa Success’, ‘Sales’ and ‘The Art of Leadership’. Among the most popular programmes were ‘People Management – Supervisory’ with 76 scholarships offered, ‘Understanding Revenue’ at 56 and ‘People Management – Management’, with a total of 34 scholarships provided.

99% of the 2023 scholars rated the experience as highly positive, demonstrating the high quality of HIT Scotland’s programme. 92% believed the scholarship would enhance their career, while 96% claimed the experience would benefit their business. Such feedback speaks to the professional gains to be made from undertaking one of these scholarships, and the wider benefits for Scotland’s hospitality industry.

One such scholar was Lucy Jeffrey, Group & Events Planning Manager of Edinburgh’s Radisson Blu Hotel. With over 20 years of industry experience, Lucy applied for HIT Scotland’s ‘Art of Leadership’ scholarship to advance her skills and confidence in successfully managing a large team.

The scholarship saw Lucy spend two days in the world-renowned EHL Hospitality Business School in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Here she, alongside 15 other scholarship recipients, participated in an interactive programme, covering topics such as service leadership, communication style, and the difference between managers and leaders.

The scholars gained real-life practice, with multiple opportunities to give and receive feedback, and the task of delivering a presentation to the rest of the group.

Lucy Jeffreys commented on her experience: “The HIT Scotland course was really eye-opening. Spending time with other hospitality managers and learning from some of the best in the industry really broadened my view of different leadership styles and encouraged me to question my own.

“It was a privilege to be accepted onto the HIT Scholarship programme, and a truly incredible experience that has added to my career. If there is anyone else debating whether to apply for one of HIT Scotland’s scholarships, I would 100% recommend doing so!”

David Cochrane, MBE, Chief Executive of HIT Scotland, commented: “HIT Scotland’s scholarships have helped thousands of people establish successful, fulfilling careers in Scotland’s hospitality industry.

“Nowhere is this more evident in the resoundingly positive feedback we receive from scholars each year, who have gained so much professionally and personally from the experience.

“It’s not just the individual who has something to gain. 94% of scholars claim the experience helped them in their current role, highlighting the benefits to employers.

“This is why we are encouraging Scottish hospitality businesses to support their staff in signing up for a scholarship, and of course – if you are working toward a career in the hospitality industry – or know someone who is – we invite you to apply through the website this September!”

Applications for the next round of HIT Scotland scholarships open on 18 September 2024. More details about how to apply can be found here.   

Over 300 Scottish hospitality scholarships awarded by industry charity HIT Scotland

Hospitality Industry Trust (HIT) Scotland has awarded 319 scholarships to those studying or working in the Scottish hospitality industry. 

The scholarships were awarded at the annual HIT Talent Conference, which took place on 8th February at the Voco Grand Central Hotel in Glasgow.  

The recipients, who work across a variety of hospitality and tourism roles in 142 different venues throughout Scotland, celebrated their awards to applause from 430 attendees.  

This year saw HIT announce their 7000th inspirational scholarship. The recipient, Amanda Pirie, People Manager at The Auchrannie Resort on the Isle of Arran, received the prestigious Art of Leadership scholarship. 

HIT Scotland’s scholarship programme is open to anyone working in or studying towards a hospitality career in Scotland. Scholarships offer learning experiences to help develop new skills, knowledge, best practice and fresh thinking. The scholarships are split into three categories – business, operational and inspirational empowerment – with content tailored according to the recipient’s personal development objectives. 

Scholarship Categories 

Business empowerment scholarships include the popular people management programmes, which remains a coveted skill in hospitality roles. Scholarships were offered to first time supervisors receiving their first training in managing a team, to senior managers for the Art of Leadership Scholarship at Lausanne Hospitality Business School in Switzerland, and to one General Manager who will attend the Cornell General Manager Programme in the U.S. 

Operational scholarshipscover a diverse range of learning opportunities. This year there will be chefs taking part in new kitchen-based experiences, restaurant and bar staff learning how to run a whisky tasting, sales training, and employees learning how hotel revenue management affects their role. 

The bespoke inspirational scholarships allow individuals to tell HIT Scotland what will inspire and motivate them to be the best they can be. This year, HIT have announced two special inspirational scholarships. One scholar will receive a French wine experience, exploring the art of fine wine making in a well-established vineyard in France.

Another will educate a scholar on brand repositioning with first-hand knowledge from a roster of well-known brands, looking at global branding from another sector.  All bespoke scholars will bring their learnings back home to benefit Scottish hospitality.   

The Open University Scotland also offered places on their Microcredentials courses, covering a variety of learning options from Project Management to Python Programming. 

The Graeme Gibson Award  

Last year a special new award was introduced in honour of inspirational General Manager the late Graeme Gibson, who worked in many of Scotland’s top establishments, latterly The Grand Central Hotel, Glynhill Hotel, and Yotel Glasgow.  

The Graeme Gibson Scholarship rewards a rising star working in management in the Greater Glasgow area with executive coaching sessions to help them work on their personal and career development. This year’s winner is Katie Booth, F&B Manager at the AC Hotel by Marriott Glasgow. 

Chris Rouse Scholarship 

The Chris Rouse Scholarship is HIT Scotland’s other notable award. In memory of the former General Manager of the Turnberry Hotel, Chris Rouse. Chris was responsible for transforming the hotel into a world leading luxury spa and golf resort, and this award goes to managers who likewise uphold the highest standards for guests and inspire the best from their team.  

This year’s Chris Rouse Scholar is Jack McCormick, Bar Supervisor at Trump Turnberry, who will benefit from executive coaching sessions in addition to his chosen scholarship. 

Lisa Wishart Scholarship 

This year a new scholarship opportunity was announced in memory of Lisa Wishart, MD of the Lisini Pub Company, who sadly passed away in 2023. Lisa was an inspirational leader who ran a thriving hospitality company, and was a great ambassador for the trade. 

There have been two Lisa Wishart Scholars named this year due to the fantastic fundraising received from the Scottish Bar and Pub Awards.  

Stephanie Jayne-Robertson, Supervisor at Lisini Pub Co (The Parkville Hotel, Blantyre), will carry out a Customer Experience scholarship, visiting London to learn about service experience and recovery at the Dorchester Collection Academy. 

Meanwhile, Jenny Barlow, General Manager at Scotts Bar and Restaurant in Greenock, will study the Art of Leadership course at the esteemed Lausanne Hospitality Business School in Switzerland. 

David Cochrane, HIT Scotland Chief Executive, said: “It is inspiring to have so many of our HIT Scotland scholars in one place to celebrate their achievement this year. These learning experiences are absolutely vital for our sector, allowing fresh ideas to permeate throughout the industry and upskilling the Scottish hospitality workforce.  

“Tailored to each scholar’s individual aspirations, HIT Scotland scholarships are incredibly rewarding and empower people to take charge of their career development, all while benefitting the sector at large. 

“Myself and everyone at HIT Scotland would like to wish all of our scholars the very best for the year ahead, and can’t wait to follow their progress!” 

Katie Booth, Graeme Gibson Scholar for 2024, added: “I am so honoured to be the recipient of the Graeme Gibson Scholarship and would like to thank HIT for giving me this opportunity. I hope that as I continue my career in hospitality that I can embody all the amazing attributes that Graeme possessed in all areas of his life and hotel career.  

“I am so excited to be given the time to work with an executive coach to develop my personal management skills and can’t wait to bring back all that I learn to my incredible team here at the AC Hotel.” 

HIT Scotland would like to thank the Savoy Educational Trust, The Crerar Trust, The MacRobert Trust, and Diageo Learning for Life, along with their corporate sponsors, for their support of the 2024 scholarship programme. 

To find out more about the scholarships HIT Scotland offer, visit the website:

hitscotland.co.uk/scholarships-hit 

HIT Scotland invites Scottish hospitality talent to unlock potential through scholarships programme

Leading industry charity, Hospitality Industry Trust (HIT) Scotland is encouraging applications from Scottish hospitality workers and students for its 2024 scholarship programme.  

2024 will see the charity celebrate its 30th anniversary and award its 7000th scholarship – it awards over 200 scholarships annually. A HIT Scotland scholarship is a learning experience designed to provide new skills and knowledge, stimulate best practice and fresh ways of thinking. Scholarships vary year to year depending on what the industry is looking for – this year, it will offer a mix of scholarships across three categories: business, operational and inspirational. 

To celebrate the 30th anniversary milestone, the charity is presenting three new bespoke inspirational scholarships – these will expand on their usual inspirational scholarships, offering a bigger and more prestigious experience for the recipients. 

This year also sees HIT Scotland honouring the memory of great service to the industry with the new Lisa Wishart scholarship. Presented to someone in the licensed trade, this development opportunity has been kindly funded by donations from the recent Scottish Bar & Pub Awards, and will be awarded to someone who shows the same passion for the industry as Lisa did. 

HIT Scotland is also spearheading the inaugural Müller Milk & Ingredients scholarships, which are recognising the huge talent within the Scottish council catering services. 

Applications close midnight on Sunday 19th November 2023, with applicants invited to choose one scholarship that will help aid their personal development within their hospitality role. Anyone working in or studying towards a career in Scottish hospitality can apply. 

David Cochrane, HIT Scotland Chief Executive, commented: “We want applicants to really show us their passion for our industry and demonstrate how the experience will help them. For many years now, our scholarships have been empowering inspirational development in Scottish hospitality, helping both individuals and the sector at large grow.  

“I’d like to thank our sponsors for their continued support of the fundraising events that allow us to keep providing these development opportunities for the industry. Thanks also go to The Savoy Educational Trust, The Crerar Trust, The MacRobert Trust, Diageo Learning for Life, and Hickory for their generous support of our scholarship programme.” 

Angela Vickers, chair of HIT Scotland and CEO of Apex Hotels, added: “It is exciting to be offering three inspirational scholarships to celebrate HIT Scotland’s 30th year – these will offer a one-of-a-kind learning opportunity for the recipients. 

“We cannot wait to hear from the ambitious, passionate individuals working and learning in Scottish hospitality and help them achieve their goals.” 

To find out more about the scholarships HIT Scotland offer and apply, visit the website: hitscotland.co.uk/scholarships-hit 

Over 400 hospitality scholarships awarded by HIT Scotland to support industry talent  

Empowering the development of the Scottish hospitality sector, Hospitality Industry Trust (HIT) Scotland has this week awarded 414 scholarships to those studying or working in the industry. 

The scholarships were awarded at the annual HIT Talent Conference, which took place in Glasgow in Thursday at the Voco Grand Central Hotel. Recipients range from those just starting out to senior managers, all working or studying in the Scottish hospitality sector. 

HIT’s scholarship programme is open to anyone in Scotland working in the industry or studying towards a career in hospitality. Scholarships offer learning experiences to help develop new skills, knowledge, best practice and fresh thinking. They focus on business, operational and inspirational empowerment and are tailored to an individual’s aspirations. 

The hospitality charity also announced the first recipient of a special new award introduced in honour inspirational General Manager, the late Graeme Gibson, who worked in many of Scotland’s top establishments, latterly The Grand Central Hotel, Glynhill Hotel, and then Yotel Glasgow.  

The Graeme Gibson Scholarship rewards a rising star working in management in the Greater Glasgow area with four executive coaching sessions to work on their personal and career development, in addition to their scholarship award. This year’s winner is Graeme Walker, Director of Sales and Marketing at the Clayton Hotel Glasgow City. 

The Chris Rouse Scholarship is HIT Scotland’s other special award. Awarded in memory of the former GM of the Turnberry Hotel who was known for developing the highest standards for his guests and inspiring the best from his team, Chris was responsible for the transformation of the hotel into a world-leading luxury spa and golf resort.

The Chris Rouse Scholarship is awarded to someone working in the Ayrshire area, who shows the same enthusiasm for their career. This year’s Chris Rouse Scholar is Natalaigh Taylor, Marketing Manager at Trump Turnberry, who will likewise benefit from executive coaching sessions. 

Seven new scholarships were also announced to reflect the changing needs of the sector: Cornell General Managers Programme; eCornell modules; Resilience; Whisky Appreciation Masterclass; Mental Fitness; Sustainability; and Technology.

David Cochrane, HIT Scotland Chief Executive, added: “HIT Is delighted to announce 414 deserving beneficiaries of scholarships this year. These awards are important for ensuring hospitality talent is nurtured to help people forge successful careers and contribute to this vital Scottish industry. 

“We are pleased to announce special awards made in honour of two industry legends. The first Graeme Gibson Scholar is Graeme Walker, Director of Sales and Marketing at the Clayton Hotel Glasgow City, and this year’s Chris Rouse Scholar is Natalaigh Taylor, Marketing Manager at Trump Turnberry. The executive coaching they will receive in addition to their scholarship will help them grow and progress. 

“We look forward to following all our scholars progress in future months and years.” 

Graeme Gibson Scholarship winner for 2023, Graeme Walker, commented: “I have long admired the work of HIT Scotland, so being selected as the inaugural Graeme Gibson scholarship recipient is truly an honour. 

“Graeme is up at the top of the list of brilliant people I have had the good fortune to work with during my career in hospitality. We worked together in the year leading up to his passing, opening a new hotel during a pandemic, which was an interesting challenge. He has helped to inspire not only me but countless others in Scottish hospitality. His passion for our industry and the members of his teams, along with his great sense of humour, are just parts of what made him a fantastic leader and someone who we can all strive to emulate.” 

HIT Scotland would like to thank the Savoy Educational Trust, The Crerar Trust and The MacRobert Trust, along with their corporate sponsors, for their support of the 2023 scholarship programme. 

To find out more about the scholarships HIT Scotland offer, visit the website: hitscotland.co.uk/scholarships-hit 

Business accelerator supports young Scottish entrepreneurs by offering £250,000 in startup grants

A business accelerator that supports budding entrepreneurs is offering £250,000 to young people across Scotland who want to grow a digital business. 

The sought-after scheme from TwinklHive provides grants and mentorship to individuals aged 18 to 24 and enables young people to commit and pursue entrepreneurship as a full-time career path and make their business dreams a reality.  

The combination of funding and dedicated support on offer has been designed to provide a unique educational experience and equip successful applicants with the knowledge and skills to grow successful and sustainable businesses.

To apply, the young entrepreneurs must have a validated concept for a technology-enabled business and a clear vision. Their idea should also be focused on solving a real problem for their customers, as the scholarship is looking to develop the next mission driven founders and cultivate startups that will make a real difference to society. 

Each successful applicant will receive a grant of up to £40,000. The scholarship is a full-time position that is set to run for six months, with the opportunity to apply for follow-on investment from the TwinklHive accelerator at the end of this period. 

The applicants are not required to pay back the grant, which also covers the founding team’s salaries of up to £20,000 for the six month period.

Set up in 2019, TwinklHive was created by the entrepreneur Jonathan Seaton, who is the Co-Founder and CEO of the global educational publisher Twinkl. Jonathan started Twinkl with his wife Susie Seaton in their spare bedroom over ten years ago. The business now operates in over 200 countries and regions and has over 790 team members based at its offices in Sheffield and around the world. 

Since its launch, TwinklHive has supported a variety of mission-led founders from startups in the tech sector, including EdTech, FinTech and HealthTech. The accelerator is working to continually extend its support to the startup ecosystem more widely, including assisting and supporting young and aspiring entrepreneurs with their scholarship scheme.

Alongside the non-repayable grant, candidates will receive mentorship and support from Jonathan and the current startup founders from within the Hive. Candidates will also gain access to the accelerator’s expansive business network. All support and mentorship can be accessed virtually to suit candidate’s locations.  

Jonathan Seaton, Co-Founder and CEO at Twinkl and TwinklHive, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to now be in a position to offer support and mentorship to young individuals in Scotland.”

 “We have all been living in unprecedented circumstances due to the pandemic. Covid has undoubtedly impacted the job market, and people are looking to find new opportunities and explore new directions as a result.

“For young people who  are looking for a new direction or to pursue their business ideas, it can be an exciting yet daunting time. Through the TwinklHive scholarship we endeavor to support young entrepreneurs looking to take that leap and pursue and grow a business of their own.

“When my wife, Susie and I founded Twinkl,  we experienced first hand the difficulties young entrepreneurs face when trying to get a business venture up and running. It can be difficult to get investment and having advice from people with experience is invaluable. We hope that we can provide the same kind of advice that helped us all those years ago and give people the opportunity to make a difference to their own lives and to others. ”

Amber Jardine, Hive Manager at Twinkl, said: “The scholarship was created to support young people who are passionate about building a sustainable business. I am so pleased that this year we are able to open this opportunity nationwide and I am looking forward to the prospect of working alongside mission-driven entrepreneurs with innovative solutions.”

The scholarship is open to people across the UK and applications are open now. If you or someone you know would like to apply, please email hive@twinkl.co.uk where further information will be provided.

The closing date for applications is Friday 11th June.

For more information about the scholarship and to find the application form visit the TwinklHive blog.

For more information about TwinklHive visit: www.twinkl.co.uk/hive 

Data science scholarships on offer to bright minds in Scotland

EXPLORE Data Science Academy (EDSA) is investing up to £250,000 in the strongest and highest achieving graduates in Scotland by offering as many as 40 free scholarships for its six- month online data science courses.

Applications are open now until the 6th June 2021.

EDSA is inviting top graduates that have excelled in their studies and consistently performed well academically to apply and expand their knowledge in Data Science. The EDSA has trained over 1000 young data scientists in South Africa since 2017 and has a graduate employment rate of over 90% at above average starting salaries.

Its courses were recently recognised by Amazon Web Services (AWS), which has partnered with EDSA to offer data science learning to young Africans. 

“We believe that our data science course formula, which includes self-study, team challenges, real world problem solving, and world class facilitators, can produce similar results in the UK,” said Shaun Dippnall, CEO of EDSA.

“The higher education system is not producing a sufficient number of work-ready graduates. Our courses are designed to ensure that our students, once graduated, have both the technical and practical skills needed in the workplace,” Dippnall adds.

On completion, the EDSA will assist graduates to find employment through its network.

Skills shortages

A recent survey found that 73% of UK firms believe they lack the talent to complete AI and data science initiatives. EXPLORE Data Science Academy is bridging that gap by offering a suite of comprehensive online courses including Data Science, Data Engineering, Data Analytics, and Business Intelligence, that deliver specialist training in a real-world environment.

Dippnall believes this is an ideal opportunity for highly talented Britons to top up their skills and embark on an exciting career in one of the most sought-after careers at no cost.

“As data becomes the currency of modern business, the race to become data-driven has seen organisations investing heavily in core analytics skills, but lack of support, funding and time available for upskilling are cited as current challenges within the UK data science community,” Dippnall says.

Real world problem solving

EDSA’s courses are practical and deal with real-world problems in business.  “The innovative design of our learning platforms and the passion of our scientist facilitators equip EXPLORE students to do great things.  Facilitators are experienced in tackling real-world problems and skilfully mentor learners throughout the programme,” he adds.

While the EXPLORE Data Science Academy is new to the UK, its consultancy division EXPLORE AI has been delivering artificial intelligence solutions for Britain’s largest water utility supplier, Thames Water, as part of a project to monitor the supply and demand on its network. There are more than 70 data scientists from EXPLORE AI working for Thames Water, many of which graduated from EDSA.

“The Thames Water success story validates EDSA’s decision to expand out of the South African context and take its place on the world stage. We are excited about our entry into the UK market and I encourage exceptional graduates to apply.   This could well be the gateway for 40 such candidates to embark on a thrilling and rewarding career – at no cost.  What have you got to lose?” concludes Dippnall.

Data Science Course details

Learners will gain an overview of Data Science and Machine Learning – the skills required to be a data scientist.  In the Fundamentals phase they learn how to clean, analyse and visualise data as well as how to effectively communicate the findings. During Machine Learning, students solve real-world problems by building regression, classification and unsupervised learning algorithms in Python. This involves data exploration insight building, improving and communicating models from a raw and unstructured dataset.

Topics Covered:

Data Science Fundamentals

  • SQL – Create and query a SQL database to extract valuable information
  • Python Programming – Create Python functions to process and analyse datasets
  • Visualisation – Building dynamic and interactive dashboards using Power BI

Machine Learning

  • Regression – Learn about linear regression, variable selection, feature engineering, regularisation, decision trees, parametric methods, ensemble methods and bootstrapping. Build regression models and test the results of forecasts.
  • Classification – Learn about logistic regression, natural language processing, decision trees, support vectors, neural networks, ensemble methods and hyperparameter tuning. Build and optimise classification models to improve the accuracy of predictions.
  • Unsupervised Learning – Learn to apply unsupervised techniques, clustering, dimensionality reduction and recommendation systems to gather insight and derive patterns from unstructured data

Have what it takes to be a data scientist?

To apply for a free slot in this world class data science course, applicants must go to https://explore-datascience.net/ and undertake an aptitude test to qualify for selection. 

The scholarship application window is open now until and the 6th June.

See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCkwnPur7jA for more information about EDSA’s courses.