Hotel takes the classroom into the boardroom

Citation

(2013), "Hotel takes the classroom into the boardroom", Industrial and Commercial Training, Vol. 45 No. 7. https://doi.org/10.1108/ICT.03745gaa.003

Hotel takes the classroom into the boardroom

Article Type: Notes and news From: Industrial and Commercial Training, Volume 45, Issue 7

An hotel has launched a pilot scheme to get local school children into the boardroom for a head start in business.

Crowne Plaza Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, offers local schools free meeting rooms for pupils to take part in child-friendly presentations in front of classmates with Apprentice-style tips from Matt Byram, the hotel’s General Manager: “Getting kids into the boardroom may seem like an unusual idea, but we believe that the confidence they will gain from being there will provide great life skills for the future, he said.”

“As part of our ongoing community-relations project, we are really excited to offer the dedicated meeting rooms in our conference facility and the advice of our meetings and events team to our local schools and pupils.”

Crowne Plaza has teamed up with Senior Lecturer in psychology Dr David A. Holmes at Manchester Metropolitan University to highlight the need for children to begin thinking about and training for business from a young age.

David A. Holmes said: “An innovative scheme like this will have far-reaching benefits for the children participating. Not only will they gain immediate skills in learning the manner, formalities and process of meetings, but they will also gain longer-lasting abilities that will form the building blocks for more successful academic and occupational careers.”

“They will gain presentation skills and the ability to interact successfully with adults as well as those in senior positions. These abilities will not only lay the foundation for success in future job interviews or presentations at school but will also nurture the ability to be competent at social networking or at formal events. Beyond these specific outcomes, participating children are almost certain to gain a level of social and personal confidence that will enhance their lives in many areas beyond the boardroom.”

“The earlier such skills and confidence are gained in life, the greater the positive knock-on effect will be in forming the building-blocks of leadership and outstanding success in many avenues. Formal meeting skills are about engaging and bonding people in common purpose or constructive argument, which is far removed from the negative effects of computer games in the bedroom or hours wasted hanging out on street corners.”