#058 - I'm In - Apprenticeships - All you need to know in 2026

**This Podcast is Sponsored by Leonardo Hotels UK & Ireland** Host: **Phil Street FIH** **Guests:** - **Jill Whittaker FIH** – Executive Chair, The Opportunity Provider - **Paul Mannering FIH** – National Hospitality & Culinary Lead, HIT Training - **Micaela Barrow** **FIH** – Quality & Curriculum Director, The Opportunity Provider **Artwork and Branding**: Sonia Cresswell MIH **Music by: Leon Williams** FIH **I'm In! Apprenticeships: The Most Misunderstood Opportunity in Hospitality?** What if apprenticeships aren't simply a route into hospitality... but one of the most powerful tools we have for building careers, developing leaders and transforming lives? In this episode, Phil Street is joined by Jill Whittaker, Paul Mannering and Micaela Barrow from HIT Training to explore the reality of apprenticeships in 2026. From levy funding and common misconceptions to career pathways, leadership development and the changing expectations of younger generations, this conversation cuts through the noise and gets back to what apprenticeships have always been about: helping people become brilliant at what they do. As Jill Whittaker perfectly puts it: "At the end of the day, an apprenticeship is a period of time over which you work and study and get to be competent at your job" **In This Episode, We Discuss:** - Why apprenticeships haven't fundamentally changed in over 100 years - The myths that continue to hold employers back - How apprenticeship levy funding actually works - Why hospitality is still undersold as a career choice - The role apprenticeships play in retention and employee engagement - How apprenticeships support people of all ages, not just school leavers - The flexibility available for different learning styles and life circumstances - Why apprenticeships can become leadership development pathways - How employers can use apprenticeships to build future talent pipelines - The changing expectations of Gen Z and Gen Alpha employees - Why belonging and development matter more than ever - The new Foundation Apprenticeship and what it means for hospitality employers **Outstanding Quotes from the Episode** - "Everything else is process" – Jill Whittaker - "We absolutely transform lives" – Micaela Barrow - "Change the narrative from getting a job in hospitality to building a career in hospitality" – Paul Mannering - "People feel invested in. They feel like they belong" – Jill Whittaker - "Anything is possible with passion and positivity" – Phil Street - "The apprenticeship minimum wage is a minimum, not a target" – Jill Whittaker - "We need to sell the vision of what hospitality can become" – Micaela Barrow - "Develop people to the highest level so they could leave. Treat them well enough that they never want to" – Jill Whittaker **Join the Conversation** **Twitter/X:** @IoH\_Online **Instagram:** @ioh\_online **LinkedIn:** Institute of Hospitality **Website:** Institute of Hospitality Hospitality has always been a people business. Apprenticeships aren't about filling jobs. They're about building futures. Apprenticeships simply give people the opportunity to become the very best version of themselves while helping businesses do exactly the same. And that's something worth investing in.