I’m In Podcast Episode 58 | Apprenticeships: The Most Misunderstood Opportunity in Hospitality?

Episode 58 of I’m In, our official monthly podcast, sponsored by Leonardo Hotels UK & Ireland is available for our members to listen to today!

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 FIH is joined by Jill Whittaker FIH, Paul Mannering FIH and Micaela Barlow FIH from IoH Academic Partners 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 Barlow
• “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 Barlow
• “Develop people to the highest level so they could leave. Treat them well enough that they never want to” – Jill Whittaker

Members can follow the link below to listen to this episode now! Listening to this podcast counts toward your CPD activity.

If you have any feedback about the show or would like to be a future guest, please contact Phil Street at phil.street@instituteofhospitality.org

Members can listen to Episode 58 now!