The first group of students have graduated from Know Hospitality Academy in Liverpool, taking their first steps of what promises to be an exciting new career.

The group of five young people were congratulated and praised by guests and VIPs at a special presentation evening at The Richmond Hotel Liverpool, on Hatton Garden.

The five graduates are Emilia Carden aged 18 from Aigburth; Asa Jones aged 17 from Crosby; Warren Kilcourse aged 17 from Dovecot; Ben Lavelle aged 18 from Dingle; and Sophay Ledwich aged 17 from Croxteth.

Know Hospitality Academy is based at the Grade II Listed Richmond Hotel Liverpool. It is from here that students study and learn all aspects of hospitality from within a working hotel environment. The aim of the academy is to grow and develop skills and opportunities in the hospitality industry for young people who are keen to begin a career in this thriving sector.

The hotel is working in partnership with leading national training provider Kaplan Skills and Employment to manage and deliver the new internships.

The Lord Mayor of Liverpool Councillor Tony Concepcion was amongst guests who were welcomed by Steven Hesketh, Managing Director of Know Hospitality Academy and The Richmond Hotel Liverpool. Graduates were joined by their families, Richmond mentors, and industry experts. The next group of interns also attended to give them an insight into what they can expect from their programme.

The welcome was followed by a two-course dinner of herb crusted rack of lamb with mini shepherd’s pie, baby root vegetables and roast lamb jus; dessert was Richmond crème brulee with a zingy lime shortbread.

The Lord Mayor presented each student with their graduation certificate and £100 voucher to be used towards buying new workwear as they continue on their new work journey.

Three graduates – Emilia, Asa and Ben – have accepted full-time apprenticeships at The Richmond Hotel Liverpool. A number of key hotels across the city will now meet with the remaining students to discuss opportunities.

During the programme, the group received two in-depth training sessions from Danny Clarke Training and also visited Bootle-based Joe Black Coffee, where they achieved Level 1 in barista training. They received certificates from Joe Black Coffee for this new skill.

Guests included representatives from Liverpool & Sefton Chambers Of Commerce; business and enterprise champion Councillor Gary Millar; Councillor Nick Small, Assistant Mayor of Liverpool and Cabinet Member for Education, Employment & Skills; Peter Sandman, Head of Visitor Economy for Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LCR LEP); and James Rush, General Manager of Liverpool’s Malmaison Hotel and Chairman of Liverpool Hoteliers Association.

Steven Hesketh is managing director of The Richmond Hotel Liverpool, and Treasurer of Liverpool Hoteliers Association. He commented:

“We are thrilled that our first five Know Hospitality Academy students have embarked on what can become a tremendous journey for them. It takes heart, passion, dedication and self-motivation to succeed in the hospitality industry and create memorable experiences for guests – and the graduates are already demonstrating these skills.

“The Richmond team have fully embraced the academy programme by becoming mentors, sharing the wealth of their expertise and knowledge with the hospitality talent of tomorrow.

“The hospitality sector in Liverpool City Region is stronger than ever, and it is a career which can take you anywhere in the world. I am very proud of what Know Hospitality Academy, Kaplan and the students have achieved in such a short space of time.”

Danielle Kershaw, national traineeships manager for Kaplan, added:

“It’s been an absolute pleasure watching the first interns grow in confidence and as individuals, it’s been quite remarkable. We wanted to ignite that enthusiasm in choosing an exciting career path in hospitality, and we are confident that Know Hospitality Academy will play a vital role in shaping the future for young people in Liverpool City Region.

“Developing skills and boosting self belief both play a big part in the programme and the students should be extremely proud of what they have achieved. They have grasped the opportunity and are excited to move forward to achieve their ambitions. Their progress has been extremely encouraging and is an excellent start to what we know will grow into a very successful partnership between The Richmond Hotel Liverpool and Kaplan.”

Know Hospitality is aimed at young people aged between 16 and 18 who are keen to start a career in hospitality.

Young people interested in enrolling at Know Hospitality Academy should contact James Rimmer at Kaplan for more details. Email James.Rimmer@kaplan.co.uk or telephone 0151 202 0530.