Whittlebury Park welcomes Northampton College students for hands-on industry experience

Whittlebury Park has teamed up with Northampton College to give students hands-on experience in the hospitality industry, helping them develop valuable skills while working on real projects for the resort.

Last week, the award-winning Northamptonshire resort welcomed 14 students and three teachers for the first of four work experience days planned throughout the academic year.

The partnership will see students studying social media, photography, and media work alongside Whittlebury Park's marketing team, responding to client briefs as part of their college coursework while creating content for the resort.

During their first visit, students focused on capturing different areas of Whittlebury Park, including its TopTracer driving range, newly refurbished bedrooms, Afternoon Tea, the new Silverstone Bar menu and Vacation Club apartments.

With three further visits planned after Christmas, each day will focus on different parts of the business, giving students the opportunity to develop their creative skills, build confidence and gain experience working with a real hospitality client.

Ellie Abrahart, Curriculum Manager, Media and Games at Northampton College, said: “The opportunity to work with Whittlebury Park has been invaluable for our students, helping to bridge the gap between education and industry.

"Through projects in photography, media, and marketing, students have gained meaningful industry experience that will support their future careers.

"We are extremely grateful for the support and guidance provided by the Whittlebury Park marketing team and look forward to building on this successful collaboration.”

Jason Lancaster, Principal and CEO at Northampton College, said: "I’m delighted that Northampton College is working in partnership with Whittlebury to create exciting opportunities for our students.

"Experiences like these allow students to develop their skills, build confidence and gain valuable experience in a real workplace. We’re very grateful to Whittlebury for investing in our young people and helping to prepare them for successful future careers."

The collaboration reflects Whittlebury Park's commitment to supporting local education and creating opportunities for young people to gain valuable experience beyond the classroom.

Shannon Obrien, Social Media & Content Executive at Whittlebury Park and project lead for the work experience, added: “We’re really proud to be working with Northampton College this academic year and supporting students who want to pursue a career in social media, marketing, and content creation.

"It’s been lovely to give them the chance to work on a real brief for their portfolios and see their ideas come to life while getting a taste of what we do here at Whittlebury Park.

"We’re excited to welcome them back over the coming months and seeing how they continue to develop their skills and creativity.”