Apprenticeship Case Study - Victoria Parker

Victoria Parker

Age: 37

Job Title: Assistant Manager

Employer: Shepherd Neame

Name of Apprenticeship: Level 4 Hospitality Manager (Food & Beverage)

What made you apply for the apprenticeship and what was the process?

I joined Shepherd Neame as Assistant Manager at The Samuel Pepys, St. Pauls, in March 2019. I had only been with the company for a couple of months when our District Manager approached me with the proposal of joining the Apprenticeship Scheme.

As there were only 2 spaces for the London district, I was honoured to be one of the nominees and was excited at the opportunity when my application was accepted.

What does your role entail day-to-day?

I am responsible for supporting my manager in the general day to day running of operations for the site and covering additional duties in their absence.

I enjoy the varied range of duties as Assistant Manager, communicating with guests in preparation for private functions and day to day reservations, organising and leading the team during service and interacting with our guests.

I also carry out more operational duties such as stock ordering to ensure the appropriate stock levels for service, audits to adhere to health and safety guidelines and stock checks plus managing quality and P&L. All aspects of my role aid in supporting the team in providing our guests with the best service for an enjoyable and memorable experience each time they visit.

What are you learning at the moment?

I am currently learning what adaptations are needed to be compliant with the new normal In preparation for our re-opening after lockdown

These new learnings will enable me to lead our team in the best possible way, providing a safe environment for our guests whilst still maintaining the same great level of service they are used to.

What do you like most about being an apprentice?

I have enjoyed the opportunity to dedicate time to my own personal development. In doing the apprenticeship I have realised the level of skills and knowledge I have; this has given me the confidence to be a stronger and more effective leader. It has been great to share knowledge and experiences with other apprentices from different sites supporting each other in our learning and building new relationships within the business.

The apprenticeship has taught me valuable new skills that I can incorporate into my role during day-to-day operations. The balance of working whilst studying enables you to review your learning by putting it into practice in a live environment, adapting your approach to your role within your specific business. 

When you’ve completed the role, what will your next steps be?

Firstly, to dedicate myself to getting our team and site back up to the speed and standard it was before lockdown, then to improve that standard, growing the team and raising the profile of the site. Coaching one of the team to the level of my role would be great, as my aim is to become General Manager of my own site.

What inspired you to work in hospitality?

I had my first job within the hospitality industry at the age of 16 and had always had a second bar/restaurant job even whilst working at an insurance company.

I have always been focused on self-development driven to improve so I enrolled on a hospitality training course. It was a work placement through the jobcentre with Holiday Inn. I worked hard, got promoted to Restaurant Supervisor, transferred to a Crown Plaza Resort, and promoted to F&B supervisor, I then moved to London to work for Hilton. After working with some amazing people through the 7 years in hotels, I wanted to focus my skills and experience on a smaller more intimate operation so came full circle back to pubs.

Following my second promotion, the insurance company that I worked for underwent a second consultation and restructure making my role redundant.

I applied for similar job roles and was shortlisted for a second-round interview but unfortunately, someone with more experience took the position.

How do you hope to make a difference in the industry?

I have met some great people that have supported and influenced me in my career, as a general manager, I hope to build a strong team, positively influencing them and giving them the support and opportunity to work their way up and achieve.

If I can do this for others then I feel that I will have achieved the best in myself, although there is always room for improvement.