New Students Enjoy a Summer of Industry Masterclasses at The Manchester College

The Manchester College is delighted to have collaborated with the trailblazing Chefs’ Forum Academy to stage a series of industry masterclasses over the summer for prospective students looking to enrol at the college next month.

The sessions will give an insight into careers and courses in Hospitality and Catering, Travel and Tourism, as well as Aviation.

The Chefs’ Forum, national leaders in providing bespoke experiences for the next generation of chefs and hospitality professionals across the UK.  The Manchester College are proud to be the only college in the north of the UK to have a Chefs’ Forum Academy at the college, now going into its third year!

This summer, prospective students are offered the privilege of attending a specifically designed summer showcase consisting of various industry experts sharing a wealth of knowledge and experience, via interactive virtual workshops such as:

Each session is designed to engage new applicants throughout the summer months and keep continuing ones in the loop before the September term began. Motivating students, new and existing alike is vital in keeping up the momentum of college life, especially after such a turbulent previous academic year for many learners across the country.

Chloe Graham, Achievement Tutor at the college is coordinating and hosting the sessions with The Chefs’ Forum Academy on behalf of The Manchester College, she said

“These sessions are a great way of maintaining contact with prospective students over the long summer holiday.  The transition from school to college or retraining can often be a daunting prospect, so it is fantastic to be able to offer students a taster of what’s to come when they start their courses this September. As the sessions are all virtual, the students can join from the comfort of their own home and enjoy a live Q&A session with the industry experts during each masterclass.”

The Zoom-based seminars have been a wonderful opportunity to begin refilling the imagination of many young people heading into this industry, and an exciting snapshot of what professional hospitality looks like across diverse working establishments.

Chefs’ Forum Founder Catherine Farinha said:

“When I was asked by Manchester College to create a series of short introductions on the variety of careers on offer in hospitality and catering, I realised how important it was to show the sheer diversity of the sector as well as some of the practical things you need to know.

“I enlisted the help many industry experts, including a former senior steward with Virgin Upper Class who will be talking about what it takes to work at a very high level of customer service, which is mirrored in hospitality. Students who are on the Zoom can ask any questions they want – It’s a real showcase of talent and what students can expect from industry on completion of their college courses.

“I also created a class on first aid with a specialist consultant who has been at the sharp end of first aid through many industries. Students can learn what you need to know to be a responder. This sort of knowledge is very valuable in the industry and can add significant value to a CV.”

“The other two classes are on mixology and motivation. We are offering shopping lists for the class on mixology so students can make them at the same time, which is fun. Everything is alcohol free. And in terms of motivation, we are demonstrating how important it is to have the right mind set when setting out in a new direction. 

“As in the all the classes and seminars students can ask all the questions they want and get one-on-one feedback from industry professionals. It’s a great thing and we are excited to be making a difference.”

The Chefs’ Forum will continue to run these sessions throughout the summer and students can join as little or as many sessions as they please.

To view the range of sessions and timings click here: https://www.tmc.ac.uk/events/hospitality-catering-and-travel-tourism-aviation-virtual-summer-industry-taster-showcase