Award-winning hospitality apprentice joins prestigious trainee programme

13th May 2026 – Tags: Apprenticeships, Hospitality

A hospitality supervisor apprenticeship at The Randolph Hotel, near Southwold, has ignited 19-year-old Harry Raven’s passion for the industry, and led to him securing a place on the highly competitive Concord Programme.

The former Sir John Lehman pupil, from Beccles, recently completed his apprenticeship at the four-star hotel, where he earned glowing reviews from the management team and from his apprenticeship assessors at City College Norwich.

What started as a weekend job quickly evolved into an exciting career opportunity for the Suffolk school-leaver, who progressed from being a team member to taking on duty management responsibilities within 3 years.

Jenny Knights, Director and Owner, The Randolph Hotel, says:

Harry joined us in 2023 for a summer job working front of house after completing his GCSE exams. He picked up every aspect of the job incredibly quickly and soon became a firm favourite with customers and colleagues alike with his mature attitude and natural flair for food and beverage service.

 

Following his GCSEs, I suggested to Harry that he might want to consider an apprenticeship in hospitality and ‘earn while you learn’. He took up the opportunity and has never looked back!”

Harry has taken every opportunity to learn about the different aspects of hotel management, helping with commis chef cover in the hotel kitchens during his second summer at The Randolph, as well as proving himself adept at housekeeping - ensuring the young housekeeping team are managed and rooms are checked to maintain high standards.

As well as impressing in the working environment of a busy hotel, Harry has also excelled in his apprenticeship – achieving straight distinctions in both the Level 2 Hospitality Team Member and Level 3 Hospitality Supervisor apprenticeships. Harry’s work ethic, commitment to his learning, and all-round contribution within the hotel was recently recognised when he was named as City College Norwich’s Service Industries Apprentice of the Year. 

Looking back on his impressive start in the hospitality industry, Harry says:

When I was younger I knew that I wanted to work with people, but I wasn’t sure what in. I considered things like sales and marketing. My mum works for Adnams, so hospitality was also in my mind. When I started working at The Randolph, I found out that I loved it.

 

The people who work at the hotel are all lovely. Everyone is local and knows each other. I love the fact that you can make someone’s day special, whether it’s a wedding or anniversary celebration, or a Friday or Saturday night out. It makes it all worthwhile really.”    

Fresh from completing the Level 3 apprenticeship, Harry has now embarked on an exciting new chapter in his hospitality career, having been successful in his application to join the much sought-after Concord Programme.

The Institute of Hospitality-endorsed Concord Management programme sees trainees completing a 2-year programme working across three hotels, spending around 8 months in each. Harry has just started in his first placement, with the Belmont Hotel in Sidmouth, Devon.

Harry says he feels “very lucky” to now have this opportunity and is looking forward to broadening his experience in different hotels and to further developing his skills as a hotel manager:

I want to gain as much insight and experience as I can from the programme. I’m happy to work anywhere and would like to progress on to an assistant general manager role and then on to being a GM.”

Looking further ahead, Harry adds: “I’ve always wanted my own place. It’s a big ambition to have, but you’ve got to have ambition.”

The apprenticeship team at City College Norwich, and Harry’s colleagues at The Randolph Hotel, have every confidence that he will go far in the industry.

Having worked in hospitality for over 25 years I have never witnessed someone so naturally gifted as Harry, with work ethic to match. I am incredibly proud of Harry and have no doubt that he will go from strength to strength in his career,” says Jenny Knights.