Free hospitality courses for Horsham residents and businesses

A range of courses have been designed to help hospitality businesses and to invest in those seeking a career in the industry, as part of a campaign to support the industry to recover from the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.

One-day courses, ideal for upskilling new or existing staff or for those seeking careers in hospitality, include areas such as barista training, cocktail making and silver service skills.

New business owners or new managers will also benefit from the new two-day regulatory courses, covering topics including licensing, environmental health and fire safety.

Courses are free for residents and businesses based within the Horsham and Mole Valley districts and expresssions of interest must be registered by Tuesday, March 15.

Horsham District Council leader and cabinet member councillor Jonathan Chowen said: “I am really pleased that we are able to offer this programme of free training courses for the hospitality sector in our district.

“It is a sector that was severely hit during the pandemic and I believe that this training will be a real boost to help them upskill their current employees and recruit new employees who may not have worked in the sector before.

“The impact on staffing in particular has been significant and we would encourage businesses and any residents seeking to enter the industry to take this opportunity to upskill.”

Vicki Illingworth, principal at Crawley College, said: “We are proud to be able to deliver this fantastic series of training opportunities, which we believe will be extremely beneficial to businesses in the hospitality sector.

“This is an opportunity for local businesses to upskill their new staff or existing staff, making sure they are also able to access vital regulatory training. For people looking to join this industry, there are some fantastic skills’ courses which will add to their repertoire and bolster their CVs.”

To register, visit: www.crawley.ac.uk/hospitality-skills-buffet