DEAN – Certificate in Education

Course:  Certificate in Education (Part-time)

Career:  Hospitality lecturer – Penwith College

My Story:

Dean chose to study for a Certificate in Education at the University Centre Truro & Penwith and graduated in 2023 winning the prestigious Education Award.

Dean said: “The course was incredibly flexible and being able to study part-time alongside working full-time as a lecturer helped me achieve my career ambitions.” Dean is now a Hospitality Lecturer at Penwith College where he teaches at the UK’s Best College Restaurant 2022/23, Senara.

Before studying for his Certificate in Education Dean held a Level 4 Diploma in Wines and Spirits, awarded by the WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) and describes this as his ‘flagship qualification’ that paved his career into Hospitality.

Dean worked as a Bartender for eight years and progressed to become a Hospitality Assessor for a further seven years. Realising he still wanted to interact with customers and missing the food and beverage duties he loved such as making cocktails, coffees and putting smiles on customer’s faces, he sought to move into Lecturing.

Dean said: “Becoming a Lecturer allowed me to interact with Bartending tasks again whilst being in a teaching role and still using my industry qualifications to teach and influence the next generation of Hospitality workers.”  He added: “Passionate students make the job worthwhile when you see the journey they make towards fulfilling their chosen career.”

Whilst studying at the University Centre at Penwith College Dean said: “Tutors were always on hand to offer advice and would guide you through the challenging parts such as ensuring all outcomes were hit in your essays. Teaching is a demanding career and the challenge of doing it is different from theoretically doing it.”

“Having to conduct teaching hours was very important as part of the course to enlighten people into the career. The most useful resource was having a class of my own…well actually three classes over three levels with the different dynamics and personalities within each. You learn that not all classes learn the same.”

“I was lucky that my course is mainly practical, and I have a fantastic facility in Senara Restaurant that is busy for every opening. This means the students have a real immersive experience into the role of a Chef or Front of House Team Member, as well as experiencing the broad ranges of waiting tables, hosting, bartending and mixology, wine service, reception, and take-away offerings.”

Dean emphasised his best experience of the course was: “Our final unit (WPPD) which contained a presentation given by each student on ‘Communicate a Vision of Who You Are as a Teacher, covering what you believe in and your teaching style.’ It was great to see the other students’ journey that they had endured with us and the steps that each had taken twinned with the impact they had made as a teacher.”

Dean is a highly experienced and well qualified industry professional whose skills are in high demand as a specialist consultant as well as in a teaching capacity.  He is now the Hospitality Lecturer at Penwith College and says the highlight of his career to date was: “Winning the AA College Restaurant of the Year Award in 2022/23 with the students achieving a flawless score. A week later we were then awarded the Trip Advisor Highly Commended Award achieving the status of the top 10% of restaurants worldwide.”