Problem / need / context
At a Further Education and Training (FET) centre in County Kerry, Ireland, trainers delivering a professional cookery and hospitality programme identified a recurring difficulty among their learners. The group included school leavers pursuing a career in catering, adults retraining after leaving the retail sector, and learners from minority backgrounds accessing vocational pathways for the first time. While many demonstrated strong practical ability in the kitchen, a significant number struggled when the normal running of a session was disrupted.
During industry placements with local hotels and restaurants along the Ring of Kerry, learners reported feeling overwhelmed when service conditions changed unexpectedly. A supplier failing to deliver a key ingredient, a large walk-in booking arriving without notice, or a colleague calling in sick mid-shift were all situations that caused some learners to freeze, become anxious, or disengage from the task at hand. Several placement supervisors fed back that while learners were technically competent in controlled conditions, they found it difficult to stay calm and problem-solve under realistic workplace pressure.
The Kerry tourism and hospitality industry is highly seasonal and fast-paced, particularly during the summer months when visitor numbers peak. Employers in the region consistently highlighted adaptability as one of the most critical workplace behaviours for hospitality staff. The ability to remain effective under pressure, respond constructively to last-minute changes, and support colleagues during busy service periods is essential for progression in the sector. These observations pointed to a clear need to strengthen the transversal skill of Adaptability and Resilience — defined as the ability to respond constructively to change, manage pressure, and remain effective in dynamic vocational environments shaped by shifting learner needs and labour-market demands. Trainers recognised that learners needed structured opportunities to experience and reflect on disruption within a supported training environment before facing it in a live workplace setting.
Intervention
To address this challenge, the lead cookery trainer, working alongside a hospitality industry mentor from a local hotel group, designed a structured simulation exercise called “Service Under Pressure.” The exercise was embedded into the practical cookery module and ran across two consecutive afternoon sessions, each lasting approximately two hours.
Learners were divided into small kitchen teams and briefed to prepare a three-course set menu for a mock dinner service, replicating a typical evening service scenario in an Irish hotel restaurant. The session began under normal conditions, with a full mise en place list, a clear menu plan, and assigned roles within each team. After approximately thirty minutes, the trainer and industry mentor introduced a series of realistic disruptions drawn from actual events reported by local employers. The salmon fillet — the planned main course — had “not arrived from the supplier.” A team member was then told they were needed in a different section, reducing the kitchen crew by one. Shortly afterwards, learners were informed that a dietary requirement had been flagged for one of the mock guests, requiring an adjustment to the dessert.
Rather than step in to resolve the situations, the trainer and mentor observed, taking notes on how each team responded. Teams were expected to assess the available ingredients, agree on a revised menu option, reassign roles, and communicate the changes clearly before continuing service. At the end of the exercise, all teams gathered for a structured debrief facilitated by the industry mentor. Learners were asked to describe the moment the disruption occurred, how they felt, what decision they made first, and what they would do differently. The mentor shared examples from their own career where similar situations had arisen and how experienced hospitality staff typically respond. Learners then completed a short written reflection sheet, identifying one personal strategy they would use to manage pressure during their upcoming work placement.
Outcomes
The impact of the exercise was visible almost immediately. During the simulation itself, trainers observed a marked shift in how learners responded to the disruptions introduced in the second session compared to the first. Teams that initially froze or looked to the trainer for direction began to self-organise more quickly, discussing options and dividing tasks without prompting. Several learners who had previously been quiet and passive in group settings took on coordinating roles when pressure increased, demonstrating initiative that had not been evident in standard classroom activities.
Feedback gathered from work placement supervisors following the exercise was notably more positive than in previous cohorts. Several employers commented that learners seemed more settled during the first weeks of placement and handled unexpected situations with greater composure. One hotel kitchen supervisor in Killarney noted that a learner had independently adapted a garnish when the usual ingredient was unavailable, communicated the change to front-of-house staff, and continued without disrupting service — behaviour the supervisor described as mature and professional for a learner at that stage.
For trainers, the exercise also surfaced the value of the structured reflection component. The written reflection sheets gave learners a personal strategy to hold onto — a concrete approach to managing the moment of disruption — rather than a general instruction to “stay calm.” The industry mentor’s involvement was felt to be particularly effective, providing learners with an authentic perspective on how adaptability is demonstrated and valued in the Kerry hospitality sector. The training team subsequently embedded the “Service Under Pressure” exercise as a standard component of the module, ensuring that future cohorts would have the opportunity to build this critical transversal skill before entering the workplace.