Andras Hotels recruiting and training ahead of reopening

Belfast’s biggest hotel groups is gearing up for reopening with a major recruitment drive for 60 new staff and an ambitious food industry training programme across its seven properties.

Andras Hotels is preparing for a bumper ‘staycation’ summer and has teamed up with training provider Global Horizon Skills to deliver accredited NVQ qualifications which will ensure over 80 staff have additional skills to deliver to guests, and help raise the bar in excellence in hospitality.

Jacqueline Canning, the group’s HR manager, said: “We are delighted to be working with Global Horizon to be provide accredited training to our teams.

“Our plan for the hotels after we reopen is to retrain all team members so they can work across various departments.

“Multi-tasking and flexible working will be the key to a successful relaunch. We expect to be busy this summer but alongside the peaks there will be dips in business levels.

“The NVQ qualifications will allow team members to grow their skills and develop their careers in the group.

“We have so many really great people working with us, and we want to give them every opportunity for career progression and to allow them to move into new areas and stay with Andras Hotels.

“In total we are providing NVQ qualifications to 80 team members. These are Level 2 and Level 3 qualifications in which are in provide a training in food preparation and service and in management skills. This is on top of the extensive training and development that we provide to all employees through our Andras Academy.

“We are also recruiting new team members and managers across our group, and we are looking for at least 60 new people to join the Andras Hotels family.”

Catherine McGeady, Business Development Manager at Global Horizon Skills said: “We are delighted to be delivering this NVQ programme to Andras Hotels.

“This delivery of apprenticeships allows new and existing team members to move into new areas of the business and expand their own horizons in their career progression.

“Food industry skills are in short supply nationally, so it is great to see an established company like Andras Hotels investing in its people.”

“The ApprenticeshipsNI Programme is a Fully Funded Programme supported by the Department for the Economy (DfE) and available to Northern Ireland based companies. With this support the training is cost effective and an invaluable support to local businesses at this time”.

Andras Hotels has a 34-year history in Belfast, owns and operates; Crowne Plaza, Shaw’s Bridge, Holiday Inn, Belfast, Holiday Inn Express, Hampton by Hilton, Ibis Queens Quarter and King Street and Cordia Serviced Apartments; more than 1,000 bedrooms in the city.