Tourism and Hospitality Talent Development Programme

Amanda Waugh - The Carnegie Club

Our Tourism and Hospitality Talent Development Programmes aim to help individuals learn and grow throughout the hospitality industry, across Scotland. Our workshops, funded by the Scottish Government through the National Transition Training Fund (NTTF), provide learning experiences that have been designed to give participants the opportunity to learn new skills and knowledge, and grow their practical experience of industry best practices.

Mary Hemsworth, from Caterer.com, caught up with one of our recent participants, Amanda Waugh, who has run the equestrian centre at the prestigious Carnegie Club at Skibo Castle, for nearly 22 years. Amanda’s role has progressed over the years, and her management responsibilities have recently expanded to cover two new departments including Spa and other activities. Amanda shared her experience of taking part in our programme and how it has impacted her overall leadership and resilience skills.

Tell me a little bit about being on the hospitality and talent development programme. What do you think the value is for you for personal learning and development?

“People can stay stagnant, and I think it's important that we stay fresh and current, and there's so much that's happened over the last 24 months. We need to evolve and change with what's been happening, what's going to happen, and also kind of plan for the future so that you know when you’re being reactive to situations; when you should be thinking ahead and being proactive.”

Why did you decide to take part in the programme?

“Before I started with the Carnegie club, I did an HND in hospitality and tourism management, and quite a lot of our guests are on holiday, so I understood the tourism side of things. When I did my last qualification, hospitality was so different and I wanted to gain more skills to help me in my new role.

One of the outcomes that was particularly useful was that I didn't realise how biassed I was about things, and that was a little bit like ‘Oh, you think you're being open and all inclusive’, but it really did open my eyes. 

So I think that's one of the major things that I'll take forward with my teams, and to have that awareness, and keep it in the forefront of our brains.”

How do you think the programme has developed your resilience?

“As a company, we've been quite resilient throughout the pandemic, and we are very lucky to be in a very unique situation where we were a private members club. 

One of the major things I pulled from the resilience module was planning ahead and being open to change. So, not just having your objectives and this is ‘the plan’, but having a Plan B and possibly even Plan C, depending on what happens.

It’s about the ability to flex and change, and sometimes when you get kind of knocked back with something, feeling that you’re OK, that it happened and thinking about bouncing forward, coming back better, and this is how we're going to do it.”

Leading teams and customer experience - what are your thoughts on those modules? 

“I really liked this module, but the one that really had an impact was about coaching and managing – not always being the manager that's telling others what you want them to do, in such a way that you know you're educating and you're guiding and you're more like a mentor, and allowing people to have their own views.

For example, taking ownership of a task, and they know that they've got that. Then you know, once they've completed it and they've done it well. If they haven't done it well, then it's still a learning opportunity. But if they have done it well, then they feel good about themselves and it's just about growing their confidence and their skill set alongside each other. So I loved that one.”

We aim to provide as many development opportunities as possible for those who dedicate themselves to the hospitality industry. Find out more about our courses and scholarships and how they can help you and your business flourish.