Atlas Hotels has a portfolio of 60 hotels across Europe operating key hotel brands including Holiday Inn Express, Holiday Inn and Hampton by Hilton. Part of their purpose is to create a rewarding place to work, where employees feel valued and empowered.
Staff development and career progression is important across Atlas Hotel with apprenticeships and funded training key in their people strategy. Last year a large cohort of existing staff members from across Atlas Hotels embarked on the level 3 Team Leader programme funded using their apprenticeship levy.
The Learning & Development Manager at Atlas Hotels, Darren Cooper explains more
“We had long been eager to introduce apprenticeships within our organisation but were initially unsure where to begin or how best to utilise our accumulated levy pot.
After careful consideration, we decided to focus first on upskilling our existing employees. In particular, we identified our Team Leader and Senior Team Leader population as a key audience. For these employees, the next natural step in their career is progressing into a Hotel Manager role. However, this transition requires a significant leap in skills and knowledge, and with a limited number of Hotel Manager positions available, we recognised a risk—without clear development opportunities, we could lose talented individuals to other organisations.
We explored suitable apprenticeship programmes and found that the Team Leader Level 3 was an ideal fit. This programme enables our employees to enhance their leadership skills while preparing for future career advancement. Additionally, offering a recognised qualification helped demonstrate our commitment to their growth and reinforces one of our core company aims of developing and nurturing talent from within.
The main benefits we have seen of using apprenticeships programmes in our organisation are:
- Higher retention rates among apprenticeship participants, along with increased attraction of talent who value Atlas Hotels’ commitment to offering such opportunities.
- Enhanced employee engagement driven by the chance to develop new skills and earn a qualification.
- Reinforcement of our culture of Learning & Development, demonstrating our unwavering commitment to employee growth.
We have found LMP Education to be an excellent and highly supportive provider. Our partnership with them began through our collaboration with The AIM Group, as LMP was a preferred provider of AIM for the Team Leader Level 3 programme we wanted to launch. Prior to this, I had limited knowledge of LMP Education, but they have exceeded our expectations throughout the process.
From the outset, Mani Bahra, our support contact at LMP Education, has maintained regular communication to ensure everything runs smoothly. As apprenticeships were a new initiative for Atlas, we encountered a few initial teething issues—something to be expected—but these were swiftly and efficiently resolved without any disruption.
What has stood out most is LMP’s ‘can-do’ attitude, with a clear focus on success and creating a great experience for learners, rather than simply delivering a transactional service. We now hold fortnightly calls with all stakeholders to review candidate progress, ensuring continuous support and alignment.
Additionally, Lorraine, the assessor for our learners, has gone above and beyond in providing guidance and assistance. The feedback from our learners has been overwhelmingly positive, reflecting the dedication and impact of LMP’s approach.
Several line managers have shared feedback highlighting noticeable improvements in their apprentices’ skills and abilities. This growth has led to fresh ideas and new strategies being brought into their roles, positively impacting hotel operations.
Additionally, at least two learners have expressed to their managers that, without the apprenticeship opportunity, they may have sought development elsewhere. However, thanks to this programme, they are now excited to stay with us and are committed to building their careers at Atlas Hotels.
The introduction of apprenticeship programmes was also highlighted as a positive in our recent eNPS survey, with several employees recognising their value—demonstrating a clear, tangible impact on engagement.
My advice for other organisations looking to use apprenticeships would be to view apprenticeships not just as a tool for attracting new talent but also as a powerful way to develop and retain existing employees. In an EVP study, we found that learning and development were key motivators for our employees, making apprenticeships an ideal way to support their growth.
One key lesson we’ve learned is the importance of a diligent selection process. It’s crucial to ensure that learners fully understand the commitment required. In the past, we’ve offered many ‘fun’ training programmes with minimal workload, so when apprenticeships were introduced, some employees may have joined under the assumption that the experience would be similar. As a result, we saw a few drop out after realising the level of effort involved. Moving forward, we’ve been much more detailed in setting expectations for new applicants, ensuring they are fully prepared for the journey ahead.
Equally important is ensuring that line managers are well-equipped to oversee apprenticeship programmes and fully engaged in the process. Their support is vital in monitoring and facilitating the Off-The-Job training elements. We’ve found that in teams where line managers are actively involved and apprenticeship-focused, candidates thrive.”
LMP Education offers a range of training programmes for employers who are looking to upskill their existing team. If you are an employer and are interested in apprenticeships and funded training programmes, book a discovery call with the LMP team today!
Also add link to Team Leader course page
