Creative partnership
A national campaign to strengthen links between those in education and employers in catering, hospitality, tourism and leisure has been launched to promote career opportunities in the industry.
The new campaign is being run in association with Caterer & Hotelkeeper. It has been developed by Surrey Training and Enterprise Council, Hospitality and Leisure Manpower, and Business in the Community - an association of more than 400 companies that promotes co-operation between industry and education.
The focus of the campaign is a 10-part guide called Extending Hospitality. This provides employers with 10 different ways of forming an education and business partnership with a local school or college. Each method of forming a partnership is illustrated on a card in the pack which gives practical guidelines, activities, tips for success and where to get further help.
The guide is based on good practice from leading employers in the industry and is set to become a model for promoting links between business and education.
The education and business partnership formed from the link is aimed at bringing young people into the hospitality workplace so they can see for themselves the career opportunities available in the diverse industry. This type of link can improve the education and employment opportunities for young people, while meeting employers' need for a well-qualified, motivated and efficient work-force.
So as well as raising the image of the industry among young people, Extending Hospitality can bring tangible benefits to the participating employers. These include:
Investing in the work-force - the long-term success of a business depends on the ability to recruit and retain qualified and motivated staff.
Developing existing staff - participating in partnership activities with education supports employees' development in a range of skills, such as communication and team building.
Building markets - involvement with education can develop customer support by demonstrating a company's concern for the future welfare of young people.
As part of the campaign, every Training and Enterprise Council (TEC) in England and Wales and the 22 Local Enterprise Councils in Scotland, will be invited to buy copies of the Extending Hospitality pack on behalf of employers in their area. The Hotel and Catering Training Company has already agreed to buy 150 packs to help launch the initiative.
Employers who want a free copy of the pack are asked to commit themselves to delivering at least:
One work experience placement for a young person
One teacher placement
One school visit.
The work experience can be anything from one day to one week, involving the pupil in activities so he/she gets the most from the visit. Similarly, there is no set time for the teacher placement but it should be arranged to allow the student to find out first-hand what working in the industry is all about. The school visit from the business, could be, for instance, a presentation about what it's like to work in the hospitality industry.
In the foreword to the pack, leading restaurateur Prue Leith says: "The principles of partnership put forward in the guide will help promote discussion and help employers understand the business case for developing partnership activities with education. Creative partnerships will improve the image of the industry, motivate staff, increase the quality and enthusiasm of new recruits, and ultimately help enable long-term company profitability."
Extending Hospitality has the backing and support of the industry's key employer organisations, including British Hospitality Association, the Hotel and Catering Institutional Management Association, the Restaurateurs Association of Great Britain and the Hotel and Catering Training Company. It is organised by Hospitality and Leisure Manpower.
