The Level 2 Hospitality Team Member, and the 47 providers delivering it.
Carrying out a range of general and specialist roles within hospitality businesses, including bars, cafes, conference centres, restaurants and hotels.
About this apprenticeship
What this apprenticeship covers
Apprentices learn to deliver service across a range of hospitality settings, from bars and cafes to hotels and conference centres. Training covers food and drink service, customer interaction, basic food safety, and how to work as part of a team in a fast-moving environment. Depending on the employer, apprentices may focus on a specialist area such as barista work, food and beverage service, or front-of-house reception, while also building the general skills that apply across the wider hospitality sector.
Day-to-day responsibilities
A typical week involves taking customer orders, serving food and drink, preparing tables, handling payments, and dealing with customer queries or complaints. Apprentices work alongside experienced team members during service periods, which may include evenings and weekends. They follow food hygiene and safety procedures, maintain cleanliness in their work area, and learn how to adapt their approach for different customers and service styles. Communication with kitchen staff and supervisors is a regular part of the role.
Career outlook
Completing this apprenticeship opens routes into senior team member or supervisory positions, such as team leader, shift supervisor, or section head. With further experience or training, progression into management roles is common. The apprenticeship is relevant to a wide range of employers, including pub groups, hotel chains, independent restaurants, contract catering companies, and event venues. The skills gained transfer across the sector, which can be useful for those who want flexibility in where they work.
47 approved providers
Sorted by achievement rate.
Gloucestershire College is an education provider with campuses in Cheltenham, Gloucester and the For...
Swatpro is a not-for-profit partnership of employers and training providers formed in 2011 to delive...
Wiltshire College & University Centre is a further and higher education college offering a broad por...
Tameside College is a further education college based in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, prov...
North Lancs Training Group (NLTG) is an independent training provider offering apprenticeships and w...
Lancaster & Morecambe College (LMC) is a further education college that provides a wide range of tec...
Independent Training Services Ltd (ITS) is a national provider of vocational education and workforce...
Remit Training is an independent training provider delivering apprenticeship programmes and training...
Lincoln College is part of the Lincoln College Group, encompassing Lincoln and Newark colleges, and ...
Skern Training & Skills is an apprenticeship and corporate training provider offering tailored progr...
Lakes College is a further and higher education provider in West Cumbria offering a wide range of te...
Train2Train is a UK training provider that offers a wide range of vocational qualifications and appr...
Southport College is a centre of technical excellence and a leading provider of vocational and techn...
Performance Learning Group (PLG) is a UK training provider focused on high‑quality work‑based learni...
Bath College is a further education provider offering a wide range of vocational and technical train...
Locomotivation is a UK training provider specialising in apprenticeship programmes that combine stru...
Career outcomes
Roles after completion
Completing this apprenticeship typically leads into front-of-house or back-of-house positions such as Waiting Staff, Bar Tender, Barista, Hotel Receptionist, Conference and Events Assistant, or Kitchen Assistant. Some completers move directly into a named role they trained in throughout the programme, while others step into a first supervisory position in smaller hospitality venues where staffing structures are flatter.
Progression paths
Within three to five years, many progress to Supervisor or Team Leader roles, such as Restaurant Supervisor, Bar Supervisor, or Front of House Coordinator. From there, two tracks tend to open up: a management route leading to Assistant Manager or Venue Manager positions, and a specialist route for those who develop expertise in a particular discipline, such as Head Barista, Sommelier, or Events Coordinator. The Level 3 Hospitality Supervisor apprenticeship is a common next step for those pursuing the management track.
Where these roles sit
Hospitality Team Members are hired across a wide range of UK businesses, from small independent cafes and pubs through to large hotel groups, contract catering companies, and national restaurant chains. Conference and event venues, visitor attractions, and staff catering operations within corporate offices or healthcare settings also recruit at this level. Both the private sector and public sector organisations with in-house hospitality functions hire for these roles year-round.
How it's assessed
How the apprenticeship is assessed
Throughout the apprenticeship, the learner works in a real hospitality setting and builds competence across the knowledge, skills and behaviours the role requires. Before final assessment can begin, the employer and training provider confirm the apprentice is ready, a stage commonly called the gateway. This readiness check ensures the apprentice can demonstrate they are competent across their role before the formal end-point assessment takes place. The end-point assessment confirms that competence independently. Assessment models for many standards at this level are currently being updated, so check the standard's gov.uk page for the current specification.
What learners need to prepare
Collecting evidence throughout the programme makes the final stages far easier. Learners should keep records of the tasks they carry out day to day, covering the range of situations their role involves, whether that is food and beverage service, reception, barista work, or another hospitality specialism. Working regularly with both the employer and training provider to review progress against the standard means there are no surprises at gateway. Leaving evidence-gathering until late in the programme is a common mistake and one that puts unnecessary pressure on the apprentice and employer.
Choosing a provider
What good looks like
A strong provider for this standard will have an achievement rate above 65% and ideally above 75%, given the relatively short 12-month programme where dropout can skew results quickly. Look for providers who work across multiple hospitality settings, not just one type of venue, so apprentices build transferable skills across food and beverage service, reception, and conference or events work. Employer satisfaction scores above 80% are a meaningful signal. Learner reviews mentioning real on-the-job coaching, regular visits from assessors, and clear progression conversations carry more weight than generic praise.
Red flags to watch for
Be cautious of providers with high learner volumes but a declining or below-average achievement rate, which in a 12-month standard suggests poor retention support. Providers who cannot explain how off-the-job training is structured around shift patterns in hospitality are a concern, since irregular hours are the norm in this sector. Vague answers about how they support learners across different venue types, or assessors with no recent operational hospitality experience, should give you pause. An opaque cohort size makes it hard to judge consistency of delivery.
Questions to ask before you commit
- How do you structure off-the-job training around shift work and split hours?
- What hospitality settings have your recent completers gone on to work in?
- How often does an assessor or skills coach visit the workplace, and how are remote check-ins handled?
- Can you show us your achievement rate for this standard over the past two years?
- How do you tailor delivery if our business is, for example, a hotel rather than a restaurant or bar?
- What support is in place for apprentices who struggle with customer-facing situations early in the programme?
- How do you handle apprentices working across multiple sites or departments?
Common questions
What are the entry requirements for the Hospitality Team Member apprenticeship?
There are no nationally set entry requirements, so employers set their own criteria. Most look for candidates who are reliable, willing to learn, and comfortable working with the public. Many apprentices join straight from school at 16. Candidates already working in a hospitality role can also apply. Some providers may ask for basic maths and English, and apprentices without GCSE grade 4 or equivalent in these subjects will work towards functional skills during the programme.
How long does the Hospitality Team Member apprenticeship take, and can the apprentice work at the same time?
The apprentice is employed throughout, working for your business from day one. The typical duration is around 12 months, though this can vary depending on prior experience and the pace of progress. Apprentices spend a portion of their working hours on off-the-job training, the current minimum is set out in the published standard on gov.uk. They are not in full-time education; the learning fits around your operational needs.
How is the Hospitality Team Member apprenticeship assessed?
Before the end-point assessment, the apprentice must pass through a gateway, where you and the training provider confirm they have met the standard's knowledge, skills and behaviour requirements. Assessment models for many standards are being updated under current reforms, so check the latest specification on gov.uk for the exact methods used. Typically, end-point assessment for this standard includes a practical observation and a professional discussion, judged by an independent assessor.
How does an employer pay for the Hospitality Team Member apprenticeship?
The funding band for this standard is £4,000. Levy-paying employers (those with a payroll above £3 million) use funds from their digital apprenticeship service account. Smaller employers co-invest with the government, currently paying 5% of the training cost, with the government covering the rest. If you employ fewer than 50 staff and take on an apprentice aged 16 to 18, the training is fully funded by the government. Wages are paid by you as the employer.
What does a Hospitality Team Member apprentice actually do day to day?
Day-to-day tasks depend on which part of the business the apprentice works in. They might take and serve food and drink orders in a restaurant, prepare and serve beverages behind a bar, assist guests at a hotel front desk, or support event setup in a conference centre. Alongside their main role, they learn how to meet customer needs, handle complaints, work as part of a team, and maintain hygiene and safety standards throughout their shift.
What can someone do after completing the Hospitality Team Member apprenticeship?
Completing this apprenticeship opens routes into supervisory roles and the Level 3 Hospitality Supervisor apprenticeship. From there, the Hospitality Manager standard at Level 4 is a natural next step for those with leadership ambitions. Some completers move into specialist areas such as food and beverage, events, or front office management. The skills gained are transferable across hotels, restaurants, bars, cafes and contract catering, giving apprentices a broad range of options within the sector.
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Curated by Alex Lockey, FATP founder and editor. Last reviewed: .
Sources include the apprenticeship's official specification on apprenticeships.gov.uk, Skills England guidance, IfATE archive records, DWP funding bands, and provider data sourced directly from the public Apprenticeship Provider and Assessment Register (APAR). Standard reference: 96.
Some sections on this page were drafted with AI assistance from published source data and reviewed by a human editor before publication. See our editorial methodology for how we maintain this content. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.