Students Hone Hospitality Skills in Fuerteventura
Seven students from Level 2 Diploma in Professional Food & Beverage Service and Level 3 Diploma in Food & Beverage Service Supervision have recently returned from a study/placement visit to the Canary Islands, funded through the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union.
Sheena Hunt, Hospitality Lecturer at SERC, one of the team who accompanied the students from Bangor, Downpatrick and Lisburn campuses, said: “Placements for the students were in two hotels, Arena Suites and Arena Beach Hotel, in the popular holiday destination of Fuerteventura.
“Our students gained valuable experience working alongside full time members of staff in both the restaurant and bar areas of each property, which provided the opportunity to develop their customer service, teamwork and communication skills, at the same time experiencing the Spanish culture.
“The majority of students commented positively about boosting their communication skills through interaction with a wide range of people from different backgrounds.”
Sheena Hunt added: “For some of the students, this was the first time they were away from home. Four students applied for passports before travelling, which demonstrates that these opportunities widen horizons. The students had to manage their own finances, got to experience living and working in a different country, and had the chance to develop relationships with students from other SERC campuses alongside the people they were working with as part of their placements.
“Placements such as these are a further step to the students becoming independent young adults. They raise their aspirations and confidence and can be life-changing.”
“All the students were a great asset for the hotels, offering professional assistance to the many British and Irish tourists, as the language barrier was lifted.”
Speaking about the work placement, Bangor student Charlotte Houillebecq, from the Level 2 Diploma in Professional Food & Beverage Service course said: “What I liked the most about the trip was the opportunity to speak to customers from many different countries. Every day we were learning new things about tourism, hospitality and the Spanish culture.”
Jameson Cheuk, from Moria, from the Level 2 Diploma in Professional Food and Beverage Service course at Lisburn Campus said: “I really enjoyed the customer service part of the placement. I enjoyed working with different people from different backgrounds.”
SERC was the only FE College in Northern Ireland to complete what is known as student mobility visits in 2021/2022.
