Buckinghamshire hotel launches Young Women Leaders course to inspire next generation of hospitality talent
“Young Women Leaders in Hospitality is our way of giving that support back”
A luxury Buckinghamshire hotel has launched a new course designed to support ambitious young women as they explore careers in hospitality.
Horwood House Hotel, a 4-star country house hotel and conference venue in Little Horwood, near Milton Keynes, has created the Young Women Leaders in Hospitality programme in collaboration with Buckinghamshire New University and Milton Keynes College Group.
The course has been designed to provide young women with real, hands-on insight into the hospitality industry, while helping them build confidence, communication skills and leadership potential in a professional environment.
Across two interactive modules and a final presentation, participants gain an understanding of the wide range of careers available within hospitality, meet industry leaders and experienced professionals, while developing skills to support their future career ambitions.
The first course was hosted at Horwood House Hotel by Caroline Morrone, General Manager, and Tracy Montgomery, Creative Consultant at Horwood House, alongside Maria Bowness, Group Director from Milton Keynes College Group.
More than 20 young women attended the session, including staff from Horwood House, students from Milton Keynes College Group and professionals from local hotels in the Milton Keynes area. The course covered career pathways, leadership qualities, confidence-building techniques, networking skills and practical hospitality experience.
Participants praised the course for helping them build confidence, understand career pathways and connect with other women working in or looking to enter the hospitality industry.
One course participant said: “Personally, I found it quite interesting and inspiring to hear about women in leadership and to understand that my struggles in a predominantly male workplace are shared. I also really appreciated being able to speak to others that attended the conference, who work in hospitality, to gain insight into my next steps after finishing college.”
Another participant added: “I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of going to Horwood House. I learned a lot of useful tips and information on resilience as well as advice on careers.”
The initiative forms part of Horwood House’s wider commitment to supporting the next generation of hospitality talent, investing in the local community and strengthening partnerships with schools, colleges and education providers across Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes.
Speaking at the launch, Tracy said: “When I started my career, I was very fortunate to be supported by strong women managers and leaders who helped me build confidence, develop my skills and to communicate clearly.
“Young Women Leaders in Hospitality is our way of giving that support back. We want women across Milton Keynes and Buckinghamshire to see the breadth of opportunity within hospitality, to feel confident in professional environments and to understand that this industry can offer long-term, rewarding careers.
“It was a pleasure to welcome so many young women to Horwood House for the first course and to hear them share their ambitions, development needs and ideas while supporting one another.”
Horwood House has an established relationship with local education providers, including Milton Keynes College Group and Buckinghamshire New University and has continued to develop initiatives that bridge the gap between education and industry.
By opening the Young Women Leaders in Hospitality course to students and young professionals from other local hotels, Horwood House hopes to encourage more women to consider careers in the sector and to support the future talent pipeline across the region.
The next Young Women Leaders in Hospitality course will take place at Horwood House Hotel on 22nd June.
For more information on Horwood House Hotel, please visit https://www.horwoodhouse.co.uk/.