Hospitality (Level 4)
Serious about a career in hospitality? Set your sights on supervisory and team leader roles in restaurants, bars and hotels? Gain advanced hospitality skills, get your LCQ (Licence Controller Qualification), and fast-track your career with our Level 4 Hospitality programme.
Who can enrol?
If you are 16 years or older (18 if you are an international student) and want to work as a food handler in the hospitality sector, this programme is ideal. It’s the qualification you need if you want to become a supervisor or team leader.
What will I learn?
Gain advanced food and beverage service skills, supervisory skills and host responsibility, plus you’ll get plenty of work experience in our on-site café and bar. Try your hand at team leader during functions and events and take your hospitality career to the next level.
What quals will I gain?
You will gain:
- New Zealand Certificate in Food and Beverage Service Level 4 with strand in Restaurant Services
- LCQ Certificate (Licence Controller Qualification)
Where will this take me?
With this industry-respected qualification you could go onto higher level hospitality studies, or look for a supervisory role in this dynamic industry. Either way you’ll stand out from the crowd by having trained at Skills Ignite!
You will cover:
- Host responsibility in licensed premises
- Security in the workplace
- Wine and beer knowledge and service skills
- Food and beverage matching
- Function and events set-up and service (including arranging tables, décor and food and beverage services)
- Workplace communication
What are the benefits of staying on for Level 4?
If you are serious about forging a career in the hospitality sector, it’s well worth staying on for Level 4. It’s your stepping stone into a supervisor or team leader role, and if you plan on working in a bar, this course will give you your LCQ, plus you’ll cover everything you need to know to get your Bar Manager’s Certificate. You’ll also learn heaps about wine.
What do I need to enrol?
It’s easy! All you need to bring along is proof of citizenship or PR. We will help you do the rest. If you are an international student, please contact us first.
If I already have industry experience can I go straight to level 4?
Yes, this may be possible depending on your prior knowledge and skills. Contact our friendly Student Support Team to find out.
How much does this course cost?
You might be eligible to do this course for free! Talk with our Student Support Team to find out. If not, you may be eligible for loans and allowances, and we can help you with that.
What time does my course start and finish?
It runs from 1pm until 5pm Monday to Friday.
What resources will I need?
On the days you are working in the café you will need closed shoes and black pants.
What does a typical day look like?
You’ll do wine and food matching, beer and food matching, and lots of work around functions and event planning and management. You’ll get to supervise our Level 2 and 3 students for functions and events and at the end of the course your class will plan and run their own special function.
Time in the classroom will be spent learning things like host responsibility, liquor laws and typical tasks performed by a duty manager.
Will you help me get a job?
Yes! As part of your course we spend time working on interview and CV skills to make sure you leave us work ready. We also bring in speakers from industry to talk to you about what today’s employers expect. As well as this, our tutors have great industry connections and can introduce you to potential employers.
What jobs can I apply for after completing this course?
This is a high-demand sector with lots of exciting job opportunities. With this qualification you’ll be able to work in a bar and apply for your bar manager’s certificate and even run your own establishment. You’ll also be able to confidently apply for leadership roles within hotels, restaurants, cafes and bars.
Skilled hospitality workers are in short supply in New Zealand, so if you love people, it’s an industry worth considering. Between 2008 and 2016 the number of job advertisements for waiters increased by a whopping 20%, and demand for other hospitality-related roles also soared. With more people opting to eat out, and an ever-growing number of tourists flocking to our shores, the hospitality sector won’t be slowing down any time soon. In fact, our food and beverage industry is set to double in value in the next 15 years to $US40 billion, according to a 2014 Hospitality NZ report.
It is estimated that by 2023, New Zealand will be welcoming 4.9 million overseas visitors a year – and enjoying good hospitality will be at the top of their wish list. Not surprisingly, the number of jobs in the industry is also predicted to grow – by around 2.8% each year until 2020, and 1.9% a year from 2020 to 2025. That’s great news for anyone with their sights set on becoming a hospitality professional.
Tourism and hospitality is currently New Zealand’s second largest export earner, providing around 17% of total export revenues. In 2016, visitors here spent $10 billion dollars, up 12.2% on 2015. With overseas visitor numbers doubling every decade since 1970, New Zealand’s hospitality industry has had to lift its game in order to meet visitor expectations and international standards. This has led to a transformation of the sector. When it comes to hospitality, New Zealand is now world-class, with some of the best restaurants, bars – and industry talent – anywhere in the world.
What makes a great hospitality professional?
To be successful in the hospitality industry you must be able to deliver excellent customer service. In fact, that’s the number one prerequisite. You need to have a genuine passion not only for food and drink, but also for people. Hours can be long, with shift work and evening work often required – but if you love creating experiences that make people happy, the rewards are great.
In addition to outstanding customer service, there are a host of other skills and attributes that can elevate a hospitality professional from good to great:
- immaculate personal presentation
- friendly and patient
- top-notch communication, teamwork and leadership skills
- ability to multitask, stay calm and work well under pressure
- specialised knowledge of food and beverage operations
- cross-cultural awareness
- familiarity with Point of Sale (POS) systems
- knowledge of health, safety and liquor licensing regulations
- function and event management skills
- ability to create budgets and rosters, organise supply purchases, keep stock records
- interest in, and knowledge of, market trends and industry developments
Employment opportunities
The variety of hospitality related roles are vast – and growing by the day. Start your career as a bartender, barista, porter, housekeeper, hotel receptionist or waiter. Then once you’ve got a foot in the door, work your way up to more senior roles, or open your own establishment. South Auckland is in the midst of a hospitality revolution and job prospects in the area are excellent. Twenty-one new eateries are in the pipeline as part of Auckland Airports’ 30 year plan, and that project alone will create nearly 400 new jobs!
With the right training and experience, there are plenty of exciting opportunities for career progression and increased earning potential in the hospitality sector. While you’ll inevitably start at the lower end of the pay scale, those who are highly successful can be very well rewarded. Generally, baristas, bartenders, waiters and café workers earn close to minimum wage, at an average of $17 an hour. But move into a café, bar or restaurant manager position and that bumps up to $18-$24/hour, with the added bonus of increased job security. Keen on a career in event management? You’ll start off on around $34K a year, but experience could take you up to $65K a year within a few years. Meanwhile motel managers in New Zealand currently earn between $40 and $90K a year, and hotel managers can earn as little as $38K per year, or as much as $200K a year, depending on the property.
While many hospitality professionals start their careers in restaurants, cafes and bars, there are plenty of other workplace options to consider:
- motels
- luxury hotels
- catering and event management companies
- cruise ships and superyachts
- wine and tourism businesses
- airlines
- nightclubs and concert venues
- franchises
- resorts
- sports clubs
- or start your own business!
Sources: Careers.govt.nz, Live and Work New Zealand, Restaurant & Café magazine
