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University Offers Degree In Pizza? Yum! Brands Teams Up With Manchester Metropolitan University To Create 1,500 Apprenticeships

By Christian Savoy
Published on: 07:34 PST, Dec 7, 2015

Pizza is perhaps humanity’s greatest invention ever. And now you can finally get an education that focuses entirely on this delicious dish. Pizza Hut, which is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands (the world’s largest pizza company), has teamed up with Manchester Metropolitan University to create 1,500 apprenticeships for students over the next five years, Yahoo! News reported.

Pizza Hut will now offer a five-year education in Manchester, England, where students will learn everything there is to know about pizza — or at the very least, how to run a pizzeria. Part of the training will take place at the Pizza Hut restaurants, and some will take place at Manchester Metropolitan University.

According to Manchester Evening News, Pizza Hut bosses say it will combine academic and practical programs “to equip (candidates) with skills for life, not just for working in a restaurant.”

Kathryn Austin, director of HR and marketing at Pizza Hut, gave some insight on the apprenticeship program.

“The launch of our apprenticeships comes at an exciting time for our business as we continue to make headway in our refurbishment programme,” Austin said. “Over the next few years we will work hard to provide our apprentices and team members with the best training and development so that we can equip them with skills for life, not just for working in a restaurant.”

Austin stressed that she would work hard to ensure that all students who take part in the program receive the best training in the field of pizza and restaurant management, as well as other useful skills. She also hopes to see various other restaurant chains offer apprenticeships, as it is considered effective in teaching students and gaining new employees.

“Apprenticeships add value to our businesses and workforce right across the economy,” skills minister Nick Boles explained. “These apprenticeships at Pizza Hut Restaurants will offer even more people the opportunity to gain skills and knowledge while working. I would encourage more businesses to take the lead from companies like Pizza Hut Restaurants to start or expand their apprenticeship programs.”

This joint program will focus on students combining academic and practical skills in order to increase their knowledge about the industry. Later, in addition to learning various pizza making techniques, students will also be taught the principles of running a pizza restaurant.

According to a report from the Telegraph, Pizza Hut is not the only fast food chain to offer apprenticeships, with KFC and McDonald’s both doing the same. McDonald’s has been running an apprenticeship scheme with City & Guilds since 2009, and also offers tailor-made City & Guilds qualifications to help improve customer service.

“The McDonald’s Apprenticeship is rooted firmly in the needs of the business,” explains the company’s National Education Manager, Sue Husband. “It aims to develop employees’ knowledge and skills so that they improve their performance, meet the highest quality standards and deliver customer satisfaction. It is all about the effective day-to-day running of each restaurant and how every apprentice can contribute to this.”

[Image via Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images News]

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