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Copthorne Effingham Gatwick Head Housekeeper Mr Inyoman Antara (right) and Housekeeping Supervisor Ms Marina Hvostova training the new candidates ahead of the hotel reopening.

Copthorne
Effingham Gatwick
Reopens As
‘My Academy’
For Talent
Training

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick has reopened its doors on 26 April and has relaunched as My Academy, a talent-hunting training academy. Seeking to put hospitality on the career map in the UK, the property is focused on providing a career path for aspiring hoteliers and training next-generation managers, whilst enabling them to gain formal qualifications.

The severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic meant that unfortunately, Copthorne Effingham Gatwick had to shut its doors for a 12-month period. However, as American author Anthony Robbins said, ‘Every problem is a gift – without problems we would not grow.’



Staff getting hands-on practice with housekeeping (left) and learning about kitchen operations (right).

The closure provided the hotel management team an opportunity to rip up the rule book of traditional hotel staffing and look at better, more efficient ways to deliver an excellent customer focused service delivery. This means having staff who are cross-skilled and multi-disciplined across the four key operational areas of the hotel business, while ensuring that staff are kept motivated, efficient and engaged whilst providing excellent end-to-end customer delivery.

For staff, the concept of such skills training provided them with the opportunity to understand hospitality more holistically than ever before.

As the property still operates as a hotel, it provides in-house and on-the-job training opportunities to all staff. At the same time, My Academy has partnered with national training providers in the UK to offer formal apprenticeships. This ensures that staff, while receiving training, will also achieve recognised qualifications that will aid them in their career with Millennium Hotels and Resorts (MHR).

A variety of roles at different levels are available for apprenticeships, including Kitchen Management, Commis Chef, Hospitality Supervisor, Hospitality Manager and Learning & Development Mentor.

The two-year programme builds in training and qualifications, with the latter being completed by 18 months, while in the last six months of the programme, the hotel aims to engage with the candidates individually, and help them look for suitable roles within the MHR family, both within the UK and globally.

The programme is open to all candidates, both internally within MHR and externally, and both those who have experience within the hospitality sector, and those looking to start a career in this industry.


A group photo of the successful candidates at a graduation ceremony after completing a training programme ahead of the hotel’s reopening.

During one of the training sessions, the Guest Services Managers and Assistants were asked to share where they saw themselves in five years’ time.

For its initial run, My Academy had recruited locally via apprenticeship platforms and internally. The candidates were then invited to a ‘speed recruitment’ event held with department heads from both Copthorne Effingham Gatwick and sister hotel Copthorne London Gatwick. Mirroring speed dating, each candidate had a short ten-minute window to impress each department head over various topics such as customer service and problem solving, before moving on to the next interviewer. The event was well-received, and the hotel was unable to have open applications due to the huge amount of interest garnered.

Copthorne Effingham Gatwick Guest Services Manager Ms Jessica Openshaw, who is one of the successful candidates, said, “My aspiration is to train, develop and gain qualifications within the role of Guest Service Manager, then to pursue my career as a General Manager at one of our Millennium Hotels and Resorts properties.”



Guest Services Assistants Ms Charlotte Price (left) and Ms Hayleigh Dowling working in housekeeping and reception roles after the hotel reopened for service on 26 April.
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