What is the purpose of this qualification?
This qualification provides a range of introductory skills, as well as core knowledge, relevant to hospitality and catering, alongside generic employability skills which are needed both in the hospitality and catering sector and across other sectors. It is anticipated that this qualification will be of specific relevance to:
• Young people interested in a career in the hospitality and catering sector who intend, but are not yet ready, to access level 3 qualifications or an advanced apprenticeship
• Young people and adults usually with prior attainment at level 1 and below, including those who have had a significant break from or disjointed experience of education, who wish to work in the hospitality and catering sector but need a broad grounding in the subject and an opportunity to develop more general workplace skills before applying for work.
What skills, knowledge, or understanding does this qualification develop?
Mandatory units include:
• The hospitality and catering industry
• Health and safety in the catering and hospitality industry
• Principles of customer service in the hospitality sector
Optional units include knowledge and skills relevant to different job roles in the sector (such as prepare, cook and finish basic fish dishes, legislation in food and beverage service, sustainability in hospitality) alongside generic employability skills (such as leadership skills and setting and meeting targets at work).
How is this qualification different from other, similar qualifications?
This qualification is part of a suite which includes an Award, Certificate, Extended Certificate and Diploma. Learners should take the Certificate if they need a broad introduction to the sector, as well as more generic workplace skills, before progressing to employment (with further training where possible), to a level 3 Apprenticeship or to a Level 3 qualification, as illustrated in the target learner profiles provided above.
The Certificate may also be the most appropriate size of qualification for learners who have not yet achieved Level 2 English and Maths and need to include significant learning time for these subjects within their learning programme.
Which sector does this qualification support?
This qualification could lead to a number of roles in hospitality and catering such as catering assistant, waiter, counter service assistant.
What are the progression options?
Learners can progress to a Level 3 certificate or diploma in Hospitality and Catering in any of the available pathways such as Hospitality Leadership, Hospitality and Tourism, Supervising Food Safety, including Technical level qualifications, or to an advanced Apprenticeship in Hospitality and Catering in any of the available pathways.
Progression & entry requirements
Learners do not need any prior qualifications or a specific level of attainment to take this qualification although they will benefit from having English and Maths skills at level 1. It is available to learners aged 16+.
