The course combines a degree awarded by the University of Essex earned while working in a luxury hotel, the newly refurbished Wivenhoe House, and restaurant. Students will have the option of earning a one-year foundation degree or a BA Honours degree in two years, both awarded by the University of Essex. Ramon Pajares, chairman of the Trustees of the Savoy Educational Trust, said: "The Edge Hotel School impressed us as an initiative that will benefit the entire hospitality industry. Growth in demand for additional hospitality staff is expected to reach 638,000 by 2017 at the same time as the sector is suffering a significant skills gap. "This innovative model combining work with academic study in a commercial operation is a fantastic way to prepare tomorrow's hospitality managers for the demands of working in the sector." Alan Jenkins, principal of the Edge Hotel School, said: "With their impressive reputation built over 50 years of developing education, training and qualifications in the hospitality sector, the support of Savoy Educational Trust is a significant endorsement of our mission based on a model of 'learning-by-doing'. We are honoured to be working with them." Scholarships will be awarded by a panel based on a combination of criteria from the application form and supporting statement. The curriculum has been developed in collaboration with some of the sector's leading employers and well-known industry figures including Michelin star chefs and four and five star hoteliers. The new hotel will feature period suites and rooms, a new garden wing, a signature restaurant for more formal dining, a brasserie for informal dining and meeting rooms. Applications for a scholarship can be found at this link, or contact the Edge Hotel School directly at [email protected] or call 01206 872858.