Higher Education and Industry

As KPMG UK and Durham University steal the headlines by announcing a long term partnership, aimed at broadening access to the accountancy profession, an equally important, but less heralded, partnership begins in the licensed retail sector.
The British Institute of Inn-keeping, the BII, have worked closely with Leeds Metropolitan University to develop a package which has been designed to suit the needs of the university and of their hospitality students.
Whilst not as financially lucrative as the KPMG/Durham package, the BII/Leeds Met partnership is a fantastic opportunity for their hospitality students. Each will receive BII Foundation membership in their first year, NCPLH qualifications, specialist talks from the BII and assistance sourcing placement year positions.
This scheme brings together the Licensed Retail industry and Higher Education to better prepare hospitality students for their future and that of the sector. So whilst the philosophies of these programmes are honourable and wholly appropriate lets just hope that the programme content is not too similar.
Like any other sector, Hospitality aims to provide a business return for it’s investors and therefore a commercial focus is imperative, the KPMG/Durham students focus on the financial side of the market place let not our hospitality students unthinkingly follow suit.
Hospitality aims to provide safe and secure entertainment for all of us to relax and enjoy ourselves, this should never be at the expense of the safety and security of staff in defence of the bottom line.