Royal Academy of Culinary Arts' College Community programme secures £300,000 boost

The Royal Academy of Culinary Arts (RACA) has received almost £300,000 in funding from the Savoy Educational Trust to support the launch of RACA's College Community programme.

Funding will accelerate RACA's ambitions to connect more college students with job and mentorship opportunities available through its members and the wider hospitality industry.

As the project grows, the RACA team will offer best practice guides for students and lecturers who are looking to inspire the next generation of talent.

Students will receive regional personal development sessions that share tips on preparing for interviews and asking the right questions, as well as opportunities to attend recruitment days and industry events.

Under the current partnership, the Savoy Educational Trust will back RACA for the next three years.

The College Community programme has already involved six schools in Northern Ireland thanks to funding from the Worshipful company of Cooks, but has aims to reach "a spread of colleges across the country" when it officially launches in May.

Neil Rippington will oversee the roll-out as RACA college community programme director, reporting into the RACA chief executive and trustees.

The chair of the RACA Education Committee also held previous senior education roles at UCB, Colchester Institute and Sparsholt College, and is currently an honorary member and principal examiner for City and Guilds.

Lisa Jenkins, chief executive of RACA, said: "To supplement the work we already do with our four accredited colleges, the RACA College Community Programme will stretch the number of colleges we can work with and subsequently share the knowledge and network of RACA and its industry partners.

"This age group are the industry's direct target audience and will be our priority alongside supporting other organisations and charities such as Adopt A School and Springboard to deliver their programmes in schools."

She added: "The RACA College Community Programme will allow better connection with students looking for opportunities across both front and back of house and the industry needs to be vocal with the exciting opportunities. These can be communicated at the presentations and site visits – amplifying the variety and number of vacancies that are available to support the operators' recruitment process."

Angela Maher, chief executive of the Savoy Educational Trust, commented: "Our trustees are excited to support the RACA College Community Programme. This initiative will offer opportunities for college students and their lecturers to directly connect with experts and operators within the hospitality industry, enriching their learning and advancing their skills."

The RACA is the UK's leading professional membership association of head chefs, head pastry chefs, restaurant managers and associates and oversees the RACA apprenticeship programme, the Annual Awards of Excellence, the Adopt a School charity, and the four-yearly Master of Culinary Arts competition.

The Savoy Educational Trust was originally established in 1961 by four directors of the then Savoy Group and remains an independent, grant-giving charitable trust.