QMYOU Alumni Magazine Issue 85 | Page 24

Support from the hospitality sector equips students for industry T HE VALUE OF the hospitality and tourism industry to the Scottish economy is considerable: recent figures suggest it is worth over than £4.2 billion and employs over 218,000 staff. The targets for the future as set out by the Government are ambitious, and there is a growing demand for highly-qualified professionals, at all levels, to help develop this important industry. To ensure that students on QMU’s hospitality and events related programmes are ready for the workplace, we have partnered with some of Scotland’s leading industry specialists. Ongoing support from Apex Hotels, Dakota Hotels and the Moffat Trust, as well as new donations from the Crerar Hotels Trust, The Lord Forte Foundation, the Scotsman Hotel and the Kitchin Group, are providing students with much needed financial support as well as vital industry experience and connections. QMU has delivered elements of hospitality and tourism education for 140 years. Building upon more than a century of experience within the University and its predecessor institutions, the current hospitality, events and gastronomy lecturers at QMU consider themselves the custodians of the expertise passed down from the founders of the former Edinburgh School of Cookery. The University’s courses today are underpinned by some of the simple philosophies that were at the heart of the institution’s teaching over a century ago. ❒ Apex Hotels O NGOING SUPPORT FROM Apex Hotels has provided Events Management student Erin Gilroy with funding towards her postgraduate studies. Erin was a previous recipient of the Apex Hotels Apprentice Award whereby she received funding towards her undergraduate studies alongside paid work experience with the hotel group. She then successfully competed against two other students to win the enhanced Apex Hotels Dr Norman Springford Scholarship, which saw her receive further funding to support her postgraduate studies at QMU. Erin enthused: “I’ve been able to put into practice a number of theoretical practices and knowledge I gained at QMU and transfer them in to a real life situation. The Scholarship will also be used to further my events management education.” The funding from Apex aims to create a new generation of hospitality leaders who can transform Scotland’s hospitality industry so that it is a key player on the world stage. ❒ Crerar Hotels helps secure university opportunity for Lanarkshire student A HOTEL ORGANISATION has helped reduce the financial pressure associated with going to university by providing a new student from Lanarkshire with a generous grant. The £8,000 award from The Crerar Hotels Trust is helping 18 year old Megan Gillis (Falconer) move a step closer to pursuing the career of her dreams. Megan is the first person in her family to go to university and she is delighted to have secured a place on the BA (Hons) International Hospitality & Tourism Management (IHTM). The Crerar Hotels Hospitality Bursary will make a significant difference to Megan’s university experience, allowing her to concentrate on getting the personal development practical experience and skills needed to help achieve her career aspirations. Megan did not think she could afford to go to university until she heard about the grant, which is helping fund her university studies at QMU over the next four years. She grew up in a single-parent family with a low household income, and so she has first-hand experience of how restricted finances can be a struggle and limit personal development opportunities. Despite undergraduate fees for Scottish students being covered by the Scottish Government, coming to university can be expensive, particularly if it involves moving away from home. Even when students have just enough money to live on, a lack of money can prevent them from participating in educational projects or exchanges that will enrich their education and make them more attractive to employers. 24 QMYOU / Development & Alumni News