Jade Prudhoe: Why I Love My Parkdean Hospitality Apprenticeship

It’s National Hospitality Apprenticeship Week! 

A perfect time to celebrate the incredible journeys of our apprentices and reflect on the progress we’ve made together.

At Parkdean Resorts, we’re proud to celebrate our incredible people, and today we’re shining the spotlight on Jade, one of our amazing apprentices who has recently been promoted to General Manager at Weeley Bridge Holiday Park! 

Before we let Jade take it away, make sure you check out our other apprenticeship resources and stories:

• What can you do with a hospitality apprenticeship at Parkdean?
• Parkdean’s Apprentice Chef of the Year 2024
• Learn about our Apprenticeship Development Programme

Here’s what Jade had to say about her journey:

What made you want to complete an apprenticeship with Parkdean?

I wanted to complete an apprenticeship with Parkdean because I saw it as a great opportunity to develop my skill set to support my training as Designate GM to become a General Manager!

How does your apprenticeship support your job role?

The apprenticeship has enabled me to take a deep dive into all areas of operational management, from operational planning to communication, and from managing teams to my own personal and professional development. 

This has proved invaluable in the different techniques I have learned along the way to grow myself professionally, but most importantly, it has allowed me to develop the team around me in different ways to support the business’s KPIs.

What do you enjoy most about your apprenticeship?

I love how many doors the apprenticeship has opened up in terms of growth and development. 

Operational Management is multi-faceted, and the apprenticeship captures every aspect of this, from setting up for success in terms of Goal Setting to how to effectively deliver these goals. My trainer can make everything relatable!

A Key highlight for me was the Managing Teams module, in which it taught me so much. It has given me the confidence to have better structured conversations with my team in a way that I am in a much better position to grow and develop them as well as myself. 

Having the time to explore areas for improvement and identify areas we are excelling in has been insightful in building a better future at Parkdean.

What are your career aspirations, and how does your apprenticeship support these?

I have recently been promoted to General Manager at Weeley Bridge Holiday Park, which has been hugely aided by my learning throughout the apprenticeship. 

During my time as Designate GM, I was part of a company-wide rollout of Parksmart, where I was required to teach the Parks in my region how to use the new system. 

Using the apprenticeship and its teaching around being a better Coach and Mentor with inclusion and diversity at the heart, I was able to successfully support 9 Parks in the rollout. I am excited to carry this support into my new role as General Manager.

What new knowledge and skills have you learnt, and how have you implemented this?

I would say my biggest learning has been around who I am as a leader. 

I thoroughly enjoyed looking into what motivates the team to be successful, how I affect my team, and how I can change my ways of working to be better suited to the team around me to further their development in the best way possible. 

One of my main aims when beginning the apprenticeship was to be in a position to confidently consider the bigger picture when setting up for success and decision-making. 

How has your apprenticeship impacted you personally?

My confidence has grown exponentially, with huge thanks to my trainer. 

Having been a General Manager before, I have always been open to feedback, and the apprenticeship has allowed me to better evaluate the feedback I receive for the greater good. 

What support do you receive from the apprenticeship team?

The support from the apprenticeship team has been first-class. 

Nothing is ever too much trouble, whether that’s follow-up support after a session or making reasonable adjustments to schedules to better suit the business.

What advice would you give someone looking to complete an apprenticeship with PDR?

Do it, 100%! 

The wealth of knowledge you gain from completing an apprenticeship is industry-leading. If you are looking to progress and want to grow yourself as an individual, I would absolutely recommend completing an apprenticeship with PDR.

Everything is made so relatable to the task at hand, and I cannot thank the team enough for their constant support. 

Take the next step in growing your career

We couldn’t be prouder of Jade and all our apprentices who are shaping the future of hospitality with passion and dedication.

If you want to take advantage of our learning and development opportunities like Jade, explore our available positions today, or sign up for job alerts!