Umbrella Training secures funding for new hospitality skills bootcamp programmes

Umbrella Training has secured funding from the Greater London Authority (GLA) to deliver two new hospitality skills bootcamps co-created with top industry employers including the Goring hotel and Soho House.

The courses, which begun this month, have been designed to address critical skills gaps across London’s hospitality sector and help people build careers within the industry.

The eight-week ‘Beyond the Pass’ programme will see 75 employed kitchen professionals take part in an immersive learning experience designed to develop both their technical and leadership capabilities.

The modular curriculum has been co-created with some of the industry’s top employers, including the Clermont, the Goring, Soho House, Green & Fortune and Strand Palace Hotel with support from the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts and the Felix Project charity to ensure it has a practical use.

Training will be delivered through a hybrid approach, blending online learning, in-person workshops, and on-the-job training to ensure each learner can immediately apply their skills within their current role.

Learners will have the opportunity to expand on areas such as shift planning, allergen compliance, digital kitchen systems, inclusive leadership and how to support the mental health of their teams.

Umbrella Training will also be delivering the ‘Taste of Culinary’ skills bootcamp, a fully funded, employer-led initiative designed to support unemployed or economically inactive Londoners into foundational kitchen roles.

The eight-week course has been created in collaboration with employers including Greene & Fortune and London Community Kitchens and covers areas such as knife handling, pastry, sauces, allergen control and fish and meat preparation.

Candidates will also receive guidance in CV writing, interview preparation and how to behaviour in the workplace.

Participants are guaranteed access to apprenticeship opportunities or an interview with a London employer paying at least the London Living Wage on completion of the course.

Adele Oxberry, founder and chief executive of Umbrella Training, said: “We’re so proud to be launching these two Skills Bootcamp programmes with the support of the GLA and our brilliant employer partners. ‘Beyond the Pass’ and ‘Taste of Culinary’ are designed to complement each other, one helping new talent take their first step into hospitality, and the other helping experienced professionals progress into leadership. Together, they’re about more than skills but about creating opportunities, building confidence, and supporting the community. This is how we continue to build a stronger future for our industry by creating pathways for everyone, at every stage.”