QM News 60 (pdf 1305KB) - Queen Margaret University

PAGE 10 - FEATURE
QMUC AND APEX HOTELS TEAM UP
TO OFFER TOP CAREERS
Scotland is well known as a favourite
destination for visitors from around
the world and Edinburgh, in
particular, has become a year-round
tourist and conference destination. It
is no surprise to learn therefore, that
hospitality and tourism are amongst
our fastest growing industries,
creating a demand for highly skilled
and experienced professionals to
work in the sector.
QMUC has a long history of providing
hospitality training, from the domestic
science taught to our Atholl Crescent
students, to the BA (Hons) degree in
Hospitality and Tourism taught today
which now includes a range of subjects
such as marketing, human resources,
finance and languages. The practical
element to our courses is still paramount
and all students are required to gain
experience working in the sector before
they graduate. As a result, our
graduates are in demand and go on to
enjoy successful careers in a variety of
jobs in the sector around the world.
One of the favourite destinations of
QMUC graduates is the Apex Hotel
Group, one of Scotland's most
successful four star hotel chains and
awarded Scottish Hotel Group of the
Year 2004. Seven QMUC Hospitality
and Tourism graduates (four of whom
are pictured) work in a variety of
functions, from events to sales, across
the group which now includes three
hotels in Edinburgh and the Apex City
Quay Hotel & Spa in Dundee. The group
is now expanding south, with a new
hotel near Tower Bridge in the City of
London opening in May 2005.
In such a competitive industry, it is vital
that business and education respond
together to the need for highly qualified
staff with the practical skills and
knowledge required to succeed. With
this in mind, QMUC and Apex Hotels
have linked up to form the Apex Hotels
Scholarships to support the best
Hospitality and Tourism students through
their remaining years at QMUC, not only
financially but with practical experience
gained behind the scenes in the hotel
group.
The first recipient of the Apex Hotels
Scholarship is Alana Bathgate from West
Lothian, who was the top performing
student on the BA Hospitality and
Tourism course at the end of her first
year. All her hard work has paid off as
she will now receive £1000 per year to
support her studies for the remainder of
her degree course, as well as a paid
placement with Apex Hotels.
Norman Springford, founder and
Executive Chairman of Apex Hotels,
recognises the skills which graduates
bring and the benefits of maintaining
close links with higher education
providers such as QMUC.
He said: “It is vital for an employer such
as Apex to foster close relations with
undergraduates. As in any industry, we
need highly trained, skilled and
motivated personnel and we've found
that universities such as QMUC are vital
in this regard. The Apex Hotels
Scholarships recognise the best student
in their year and we hope that Alana will
benefit from finding out more about the
industry and our company from the
inside out.”
On meeting Norman Springford to
receive her award, Alana said: “I'm
delighted to be awarded the scholarship
which will make a huge difference to my
life, financially and in my career. I'm
working part-time in a coffee bar at the
moment to support myself so this will
really help with financial worries. It's
really prestigious to have this on my CV
and to be able to gain some experience
before I graduate. I'm hoping that it will
impress future employers and make a
difference when I'm looking for a fulltime
job!”
We look forward to bringing you news
on Alana's progress and information on
future scholarship recipients. Further
information on Apex Hotels can be
found at www.apexhotels.co.uk.
Main picture:
Norman Springford, Executive
Chairman of Apex Hotels, with four
QM alumni employees
Inset:
Alana Bathgate, scholarship winner