Careers

Working in the leisure, hospitality and tourism industry in north Norfolk

Tourism is the largest sector industry in Norfolk, supporting 69,266 jobs (19.5% of all employment) and contributing £3.423 billion to the local economy. Specifically in north Norfolk, tourism is worth £529m to the north Norfolk economy, employing nearly 12,000 people in the sector. 

Working in the hospitality, leisure and tourism industry is diverse and rewarding with a range of careers and jobs. From chefs to HR, to business management to marketing, there are plenty of roles and opportunities for progression. You will often work with a variety of people through customer-facing roles and working as part of a team, providing skills and experience relevant to a variety of careers and positions.

You could even turn hobbies and passions in to a paid job! A love of cooking can be turned into a job in catering, an interest in history is ideally suited for a cultural job or a love for drama would be suitable for a performer.

Sports enthusiasts can become fitness instructors, event organisers or leisure centre managers. North Norfolk has such a diverse leisure and hospitality sector, there is a range of careers to suit all vocations eg, theatres, attractions, hotels, restaurants, holiday parks, tour guides, museums, land management and nature wardens. 

Career Pathways

There is a variety of possible qualification pathways including apprenticeships, vocational and academic:

Apprenticeships: dependent on organisations but some examples include apprentice chef. See our case study about Zoe Seme, who is working towards a Level 3 Apprenticeship Events’ Assistant qualification at Sheringham Little Theatre.
Vocational: exhibition traineeship (eg museums, hospitality traineeships).
Academic: A levels/degrees in a number of areas can be used for example; sport science, history, events management, travel and tourism. Useful subjects at GCSE level for a career in the visitor economy sector include English, maths, business studies, history, creative subjects (art, drama), ICT and languages. Undergraduate travel and tourism degrees can be studied as standalone qualifications or combined with other subjects. For example, travel and tourism programmes often overlap with hospitality courses or can be taken in conjunction with business-related subjects such as finance, accounting, management or human resources (HR). Travel and tourism degrees are also often combined with language courses such as French, Spanish or Italian. See our case study of Lauren Prockter who took on a supervisor role at The Grove, Cromer after her A levels.
Professional qualifications: Awarded by the Confederation of Tourism & Hospitality (CTH) and the Institute of Hospitality, professional qualifications can be either an alternative or a complement to university study. The CTH offers programmes in travel and tourism, at Level 3 (foundation level), Levels 4, 5 and 6 (undergraduate level), and Level 7 (postgraduate level). These are aimed at aspiring managers, with each programme specifically geared towards a particular learning outcome. The Institute of Hospitality, meanwhile, offers management qualifications for those working in the tourism sector in the UK or abroad, at introductory, intermediate and advanced level. Check into Hospitality is a comprehensive career guide to the varied roles available in hotels, restaurants, foodservice, pubs and bars.

Additional Sources of Information

Icanbea – Find information about sectors and current vacancies.
New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership – Sector information and employment opportunities.
Norfolk Work and Skills – Norfolk careers information for 11-19 year olds.
Suffolk Work and Skills – Suffolk careers information for 11-19 year olds.
CareerScope – Hospitality, leisure and tourism specific careers information.
Hospitality Guild – Hospitality specific careers information.
Check into Hospitality Careers Guide.
Apprenticeships Norfolk.