Master Innholders relaunches development programme for junior hoteliers

Junior hoteliers will be able to partake in a six-month online training programme to develop and improve their management skills through the newly relaunched Master Innholders Developing Additional Skills (MIDAS) programme. Created by Dr Hilary Cooke at the Merlin Consultancy in partnership with the Master Innholders, the programme offers hoteliers structured learning across four modules with six different key areas of hotel management. Throughout the course, hoteliers will learn how to: Set clear objectives for themselves and their teams Create effective action plans Effectively delegate and allocate work Manage resources Utilise motivation theories to maximise performance Maximise engagement within their teams The programmes will be held several times throughout the year, with the first cohort beginning 26 September. The deadline to apply for the first cohort is 10 September, and the course will last six months, ending on 25 March. Upon completion of the course and two assignments, hoteliers will receive an ILM Award in Leadership and Management at Level 3, as well as a MIDAS Certificate in Managing Team Performance from The Master Innholders. Dr. Hilary Cooke PhD FIH MI, principal owner of Merlin Consultancy, said: “When looking at the current landscape in terms of training opportunities for hoteliers, we quickly noticed there was little in terms of entry-level qualifications. “We wanted to create a programme for hoteliers that had no barriers to entry to allow those still in the early stages of their hospitality career a clear next stepping stone in their career. An ILM Leadership and Management qualification is one that is industry-recognised and a fantastic way for hoteliers to showcase their skills in the industry as they continue to progress in their field.” Dan Rose-Bristow, chairman of the Master Innholders, added: “We initially launched a version of MIDAS back in 2020 during lockdown to provide numerous online resources, workshops and webinars to support hoteliers during what was a very difficult time for everyone. “We began looking to see what more we could do with MIDAS and how it could support those in our industry. Through our research, we found there was a strong appetite for training for those still in the early stages of their hotel career, so we took that as our inspiration to help launch the new MIDAS to help support with this.”