Hi, I’m Debbie I have over two decades of experience in the hospitality industry, my journey began humbly as a table clearer and progressed to holding General Manager positions at several successful establishments. My career has encompassed a wide range of responsibilities, including Business Management, HR, Training and Development, Recruitment, Customer Service and Complaints, Social Media, and Community Awareness.

My role as an apprenticeship trainer at Kiwi and Yuzu is dynamic and ever-changing, which is the beauty of it. Each day is different, but generally, my day starts at 8:30 AM with reviewing emails and industry newsletters for any updates. I ensure that I am prepared for any training sessions and meetings scheduled for the morning. Most of my training sessions are held in the afternoon, followed by administrative tasks to keep learner records up to date.

How I started at Kiwi and Yuzu as I was looking at how to transition into a training role, as it was an area I loved within the restaurants. I arranged a meeting at Kiwi  and Yuzu to find out what being an apprenticeship trainer entailed, as it was not a familiar area of training for me. This conversation unexpectedly led to a job offer, and I couldn’t be happier with the decision!

I am committed to continuous professional development and have enhanced my interest in HR by completing the CIPD Associate Diploma of People Management. This accomplishment has enabled Kiwi and Yuzu to expand their training offerings to include this industry-specific programme, a development that I am particularly excited about.

I am proud of all my learners completing their apprenticeships, but one that stands out for me is Chloe Gardiner on the Level 3 HR Support Apprenticeship. Chloe persevered with achieving her Functional Skills Maths exam, attempting it four times in total. She then put all of that determination into her EPA tasks and achieved a notoriously hard Distinction Grade. She is now enrolled with us on the Level 5 People Professional Apprenticeship, continuing to develop her HR career with passion.

The best thing about working at Kiwi and Yuzu is the wide variety of people I get to meet – both the team I work with, and the amazing learners, employers, and companies I get to know. I’m excited for the future because Kiwi is always striving to offer the best support and opportunities for people to discover their potential, and this involves looking for new and exciting areas to grow and develop as a company.

Apprenticeships are important because Not everyone is academic, and it is vital there are inclusive career development pathways that support that. Everyone should have the opportunity available to them to achieve their dreams and goals. Apprenticeships are a brilliant method to achieve this.