Scottish hospitality students receive hardship and scholarship fund

The Hospitality Industry Trust (HIT) Scotland has announced a £100,000 bursary fund to help hospitality and catering students at Scottish colleges and universities.

A total of 28 hospitality and catering course providers have access to a new bursary scholarships scheme to reward promising students plus an annual hardship fund, which has helped nearly 10,000 students over the past 16 years.
 
Thirty places are available at a bespoke course created by and delivered for HIT Scotland in Europe's best hospitality school the Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne in Switzerland. All travel costs and course fees will be covered. 

The three-day course will introduce students to advanced customer care and professional development. As well as lectures and workshops on communication, business and working with different cultures the course includes trips to vineyards, world class hotels and training on protocol to deal with diplomat and VIP visits. 

Rather than award the experience to students about to apply for work, lecturers will select penultimate year students for the course. They will be expected to present to other students on their return and pass on what they have learnt. Two lecturers from participating colleges and universities will accompany the visit giving them an opportunity to experience teaching in an international environment. 

The emergency hardship fund will be administered through course leaders and HIT Scotland. Student applications will be assessed individually to maximise the level of support the fund can provide.

As well as helping with travel, accommodation and equipment costs HIT Scotland have provided student with the money for needs as diverse as tattoo removal and dental work. In both cases the potential graduate would have found finding employment difficult after their course had finished. 

David Cochrane, chief executive of HIT Scotland, said, "The bursary fund was created to provide a platform for the industry to help colleges and university students progress into the profession. All the money raised comes directly from the industry. The hardship fund helps keep students in higher education when they otherwise would have to leave while the bursary scholars will bring their experience back to colleagues to raise the standards and aspirations of entrants into the hospitality industry."

Words: Clare Riley

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