Aircraft Maintenance Fitters/Technicians work on maintaining aircraft of all types from small aeroplanes to airliners, jet fighters and helicopters, both civil and military. They are expected to carry out approved maintenance processes to maintain the airworthiness of the aircraft. It involves highly skilled, complex and specialist work, maintaining aircraft systems according to approved requirements and work instructions, using relevant hand tools and equipment. They must comply with civil and or military regulatory and organisational requirements. They must be able to research data sources, ensuring that on completion of a task all aircraft documentation is accurately filled in.

An aviation operations specialist could work in a number of aviation environments, such as a commercial airport, military base / aerodrome, heliport or other airfield. Specialist roles, all focused around the arrival, turnaround and departure of aircraft and maintaining an aviation operation, will include knowledge, skills and behaviours to complete complex aviation tasks and may include supervision of others to enable compliance with regulations through a safe, secure and effective aviation operation. These functions may include loading and unloading of aircraft, air traffic control (ATC), movement of aircraft and vehicles airside and the management of passengers both airside and landside. The functions all work as part of a combined team, within which communication with wider colleagues and other stakeholders is essential and the aviation operations specialist plays a key part of a coherent operation.

Hospitality managers work across a huge variety of organisations including bars, restaurants, cafés, conference centres, banqueting venues, hotels and contract caterers. These managers generally specialise in a particular area, however their core knowledge, skills and behaviours are aligned. Common to all managers in this role is their passion for exceeding customers’ expectations. Hospitality managers have a high level of responsibility and are accountable for fulfilling the business vision and objectives which requires excellent business, people and customer relation skills. Individuals in this role are highly motivated team leaders that combine a talent for management and specific industry skills and thrive on the customer facing nature of the role.

Senior production chefs strive to produce customers’ meals consistently to perfection according to predetermined specifications. They have the ability to work independently and lead a team in often hot and highly challenging kitchen environments. Production Chefs are likely to work in organisations where brands, recipes and menus have been created by a central development team. Production chefs and their teams work quickly and efficiently, producing food often in high volumes, which is repeated day after day, requiring energy, highly methodical organisational skills and attention to detail.

A team leader/supervisor is a first line management role, with operational/project responsibilities or responsibility for managing a team to deliver a clearly defined outcome. They provide direction, instructions and guidance to ensure the achievement of set goals. Working in the private, public or third sector and in all sizes of organisation, specific responsibilities will vary, but the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed will be the same whatever the role. Key responsibilities are likely to include supporting, managing and developing team members, managing projects, planning and monitoring workloads and resources, delivering operational plans, resolving problems, and building relationships internally and externally.

Airside operators are the ‘eyes and ears’ of the airfield team, and spend much of their working day or night out on the airfield patrolling, inspecting and then addressing situations to ensure that the flow of arriving and departing aircraft are on schedule. Although every airport is slightly different, the role covers a multitude of tasks including area inspections; patrolling the perimeter fence around the airport; monitoring bird activity and clearing wildlife using specialist vehicles and equipment; monitoring aircraft turnarounds and marshalling. The airside operator works in a high risk, safety critical environment requiring excellent communication, prioritising, effective decision making, problem solving and technical skills. The role requires a keen sense of situational awareness and the need to work safely to minimise incidents and accidents. This qualification is supported by the Civil Aviation Authority.

An aviation ground operative could work in a number of environments, such as a commercial airport, military base / aerodrome, heliport or other airfield. With five key specialist functions, all working in conjunction with each other, aviation ground operators form the teams above and below wing to ensure the efficient and effective arrival, turnaround and departure of aircraft. At the heart of the role safety, security and compliance with aviation regulations focus each operator’s day to day duties. Effective communication and team work ensure that passenger services, air traffic control (ATC) and those moving, loading, unloading and servicing a range of aircraft achieve the objectives of their organisation in this diverse field.

An aviation operations manager has accountability for compliance, safety and security within their area, must effectively plan and manage the use of resources and ensure compliance with processes and procedures. They may manage an aviation operation in a variety of contexts, such as a commercial airport, military base / aerodrome, heliport or other airfield. Specialist roles, all focussed around the management of aircraft arrival, turnaround and departure, as well as the environment and facilities, require knowledge, skills and behaviours to complete complex aviation tasks and management of others to enable compliance with regulations through a safe, secure and effective aviation operation. Effective communication and decision making across all levels of the organisation and with stakeholders across the aviation operation are essential.

A commis chef is the most common starting position in many kitchens and in principal the most junior culinary role. A commis chef prepares food and carries out basic cooking tasks under the supervision of a more senior chef. The primary objective of the commis chef is to learn and understand how to carry out the basic functions in every section of the kitchen. Therefore having the opportunity to experience, consider and value each section with a view to choosing an area where they feel most inspired. The learning journey of any chef will vary considerably from one individual to the next; however it is necessary to understand and have experience in the basics that this role provides in order to progress to any future senior chef role.

Talented engineers, technicians and managers are vital to the future success of the engineering industry. Maintenance Technicians ensure that plant and equipment perform to the required standard to facilitate production targets regarding Safety, Quality, Delivery and Cost within High Value Manufacturing environments. Typically the work would cover a broad range of activities include installation, testing, fault finding and the on-going planned maintenance of complex automated equipment. This requires the application of a complex blend of skills, knowledge and occupational behaviours across the electrical, electronic, mechanical, fluid power and control systems disciplines.

Hospitality supervisors work across a wide variety of businesses including bars, restaurants, cafés, conference centres, banqueting venues, hotels or contract caterers. They provide vital support to management teams and are capable of independently supervising hospitality services and running shifts. They typically work under pressure delivering fantastic customer service and motivating a team is essential to their role. The majority of supervisors’ skills and knowledge are the same but supervisors may specialise in specific functions or work across a variety of functions which reflect the multi-functional nature of the industry.

A hospitality team member can work in a range of establishments, for example bars, restaurants, cafés, conference centres, banqueting venues, hotels or contract caterers. The role is very varied and although hospitality team members tend to specialise in an area, they have to be adaptable and ready to support team members across the business, for example during busy periods. The most important part of the role is developing hospitality skills and knowledge such as recognising customer needs, knowing how to match them to the products and services of the business and working as part of a team to ensure that every customer, whether they are eating in a restaurant, drinking cocktails in a bar, ordering room service in a hotel or attending a business conference feels welcomed and looked after.