This is Hospitality: Compass – ‘This is our opportunity to showcase what we can offer’

Youth unemployment is a critical issue facing the UK, with rising levels of young people finding themselves not in education, employment or training (NEET).

 

The latest Office for National Statistics figures showed that there were 957,000 young people who were NEET, an increase of 11,000 on the previous quarter.

 

Getting more people into the workforce is a critical objective for the government’s growth agenda, with supporting young people a particular focus. The government has stated that it intends to unlock 200,000 new jobs and apprenticeships for the next generation, expand the Youth Jobs Guarantee to people aged 18-24 and ‘transform’ apprenticeships, which will include new foundation apprenticeships in hospitality and retail.

 

For our industry, this is our opportunity to showcase what we can offer. I believe hospitality – as a barrierless industry, where you often need little or no qualifications to get that first rung on the career ladder – is perfectly placed to support this work.

 

This is just one of the reasons why The Caterer’s This is Hospitality campaign is so important.

 

Within Compass, we recently announced our new ‘Classroom to Careers’ strategy, dedicated to supporting more young people who are looking to enter work, gain experience or simply learn more about opportunities available to them.

 

Just this month we launched our first Virtual Work Experience module, in partnership with Youth Employment UK, to help young people learn more about the breadth of career opportunities within Compass and the wider hospitality, foodservice and support services sectors. It offers students an interactive, insightful introduction to our organisation, as well as showcasing the many career opportunities and pathways available.

 

For several years, we have been delivering our Junior Chef Academy, which offers after-school culinary masterclasses to young people aged 14-16. The course provides lessons on practical culinary techniques, food safety and nutrition in professional environments. So far, we have reached more than 300 students with this initiative, and we aim to continue the momentum, scaling further over the next few years.

 

We are also committed to supporting the Youth Guarantee, with a six-week pre-employability course for people who have been unemployed for 18 months or more. This is important because it allows candidates to build new skills and learn more about opportunities available to them, while supporting them back into the world of work before going out to a full-time work experience paid placement.

 

We also recognise that many young people who are entering or re-entering the workforce can struggle with confidence and communication skills, so we have included welfare as an important element in our programmes. We have found this additional support sets people up for success.

 

Reaching one million people

We’ve seen first-hand how effective initiatives such as these can be in helping young people into work. In 2024, we opened Xcelerate with Edgbaston – a dedicated community skills and learning hub – and since then, more than 4,500 people have benefited from training and upskilling in all aspects of hospitality.  We have also supported more than 1,000 people with CV and interview training through our pioneering Social Partner Hub, which is dedicated to helping those who struggle to find work. Plus, our focus on Sector Work Based Academies has seen over 100 people successfully offered employment. 

 

Key to the success of solving youth unemployment is attracting and retaining young talent. Apprenticeships are core to our recruitment and development strategy. We currently have over 750 people enrolled on apprenticeships, covering more than 40 subjects with standards from entry to degree level. We’ve recently elevated our apprenticeship offering with the first of our six ‘Signature Programmes’. These target crucial areas of business needs, ranging from culinary to service, sustainability and procurement.

 

These initiatives support Compass’s wider commitment to positively impact one million people by 2030 through Our Social Promise. In particular, the Get In and Get On pillars, our pledge to help people to enter employment and offer learning and development opportunities, with a focus on tackling socio-economic disadvantage and helping individuals change their lives for the better.

 

Through initiatives like these, we’re not just teaching skills, we’re inspiring people; building their confidence, introducing them to careers they had never imagined and strengthening our business and industry in the process.

 

Young people are not just joining our workforce – they are shaping its future, and we can help shape theirs for the better, too.

 

Jonathan Foot is the director of skills and early careers at Compass Group UK & Ireland

 

What is This Is Hospitality?

Three easy ways to get involved

Get behind our This is Hospitality campaign and you could help change the perception of your industry. 

 

Follow us on our dedicated page www.thecaterer.com/thisishospitality and on Instagram @thecaterermag for news and updates.

 

Send in your short videos or share them on social media, explaining why you love working in hospitality, and support the campaign using the hashtag #thisishospitality

 

Email us. If you have suggestions for our campaign or want to share a positive story about our industry, get in touch at thisishospitality@thecaterer.com

 

This Is Hospitality