Evaluating Hospitality Education Fitness for Purpose: A Case Study of the English Further Education Sector

The catering Food Technology (FT) curriculum in Further Education (FE) colleges in the United Kingdom (UK) is a vital and crucial stepping stone for 16–19-year-old students’ career progression into the hospitality sector. The FT curriculum aims to equip learners with industry-relevant skills while integrating diverse cultural perspectives, essential for preparing a well-rounded workforce ready to enter the industry. This thesis examines how the FT curriculum prepares learners for today's hospitality sector. Online surveys were distributed to secondary school and college lecturers teaching the Food Technology (FT) curriculum. Additionally, seven semi-structured interviews were conducted with leading industry chefs, and colleges across England completed 15 online surveys. The study evaluated the diversity in the delivery of the FT curriculum, complemented by a comparative analysis of ethnic minority group representation in colleges over three years. The three papers within this thesis each address these contributions: the first paper evaluates the overall effectiveness of the FT curriculum in FE hospitality education, the second paper analyses industry and educator perspectives on curriculum alignment with industry needs, and the third paper investigates the inclusivity and representation of ethnic minorities within the curriculum. The topics cover the background of culinary educators, plus their experience delivering the FT curriculum, leading chefs at the pinnacle of their career evaluating the design of the curriculum, and see analyse how diverse the FT curriculum is to entice ‘ethnic minority’ groups to choose the FT curriculum as a career path leaving secondary school. This thesis makes three theoretical contributions. First, it evaluates the effectiveness of hospitality education within the English FE sector, with a specific focus on the FT curriculum. Second, it examines the FT curriculum from the perspectives of both teachers and industry professionals to assess its effectiveness in preparing students for careers in the hospitality industry. Third, it explores the diversity of the curriculum, emphasising the underrepresentation of ethnic minorities.