Opportunities for all
The Bluestone Academy vision is to inspire all to pursue a career in Pembrokeshire’s tourism sector. It offers a mix of traditional and bespoke pathways to suit the individual, from courses and qualifications to paid work experience.
What is the Bluestone Academy?
CEO Mr William McNamara first outlined his ambition to create "a centre of excellence in Catering and Hospitality" in 2005.
Laying out his plans, he stated: “As a result of the innovation and research initiatives, our Bluestone Academy will provide much-improved training opportunities in the tourism sector… Perception of the industry is greatly enhanced with all ages embarking on a career in this sector."
This vision has culminated in the creation and launch of the Bluestone Academy in 2021 that aims to enthuse people to pursue long-term careers in tourism and hospitality. The academy will advocate for a mix of traditional and bespoke, high-quality, industry-led courses, delivered alongside paid work experience opportunities. It will promote an ‘earn while you learn’ model that will produce a passionate, highly skilled and experienced workforce to help support the tourism industry in Pembrokeshire.
Our mission
We aim to transform the perception of careers in the tourism industry by investing in people and providing professional work-based learning opportunities, designed and delivered by the businesses that need them.
The Academy will be a flag-bearer for quality standards for the industry, delivered through elevated training and skills development and sharing of best practices. We offer people in our community the opportunity to develop their skills and make positive changes in their lives, by either progressing in their existing careers or pursuing an alternative career path.
Most importantly, we promote the importance of sustainable tourism in the way that we operate; socially, economically and environmentally.
Academy Initiatives
How to enter the Academy
There are different routes into the Academy. We have our Apprenticeships - which provide both work experience and entry-level qualifications – and our Outreach Programme, designed to showcase the variety of tourism roles at Bluestone to the next generation.
Apprenticeships
The new apprenticeship programmes provide a wide variety of work experience and entry-level qualifications in areas such as Business Administration, Customer Service, Hospitality, Retail and Accommodation Services, to Higher Apprenticeships in Leadership and Management.
Find out moreOutreach Programme
We place great importance on elevating the aspirations of the people in our community as well as inspiring the next generation to start their careers in the tourism sector. This belief is a key principle of the Academy’s vision for what it can achieve now and in the future.
Find out more
“As a result of the innovation and research initiatives, our Bluestone Academy will provide much-improved training opportunities in the tourism sector; perception of the industry is greatly enhanced with young and old alike embarking on careers in this sector.”
William McNamara,
CEO