Nurturing Talent: Whittlebury Park Guides MK College Catering Students To Career Success
Kristina Rowell, Onboarding & Recruitment Assistant at Whittlebury Park, says the relationship with MK College is helping the Park to grow its talent pipeline.
The Park has recently hired two of the College’s catering and hospitality students after being impressed by the high calibre of learners. They are also looking to successfully move an MK College apprentice on to the next level of her apprenticeship.
Whittlebury offers an award-winning 254-bedroom four-star hotel, conference and training centre, a 3 AA Rosette restaurant, meetings and events facilities and a luxurious spa.
Kristina says the Park has a strong relationship with MK College going back over many years, explaining, “It’s nice to be able to give back and help upskill people in the local area.”
When asked about her experience of working with the College, Kristina says, “The experience has been good. They are always very clear in their communication, and never pushy at all. You get a sense they really care about their learners and want to help them progress.”
She adds, “They have a real mentoring type feel with their learners. We continue that here, so the students aren’t afraid to ask questions, things like that. We know students are being given a good standard of education to progress.”
Kristina says the main strength of working with MK College over other providers is the College’s excellent communication and responsiveness.
“The College staff are great at supporting us. They keep both me in the HR team and department line managers informed throughout the process, and are good at sending out reminders, which makes our lives easier.”
She also adds that Whittlebury enjoy working with a local provider like MK College.
“What’s nice about MK College is obviously they’re local to us. They’ve provided us with food for thought in relation to our conference and events, and the fact they’ve got facilities close to us, such as meeting space, is also helpful.
When asked what she would say to other local employers considering working with MK College students, Kristina has this advice.
“If you’re not sure, just get in touch and discuss your needs. You never know where it might lead! You’ll be helping the next generation and might get real top talent in your organisation.”
