Three senior pupils from schools in the Clyde Gateway area are celebrating graduating from an innovative programme designed to provide them with hospitality skills and employment opportunities.
The young people are the sixth raft of graduates from the Hotel & Hospitality Academy programme, which is a partnership between urban regeneration company Clyde Gateway, Marriott Hotels and SQA. Previous programmes have seen the hotel chain employ 18 school leavers at its Glasgow city centre site, with the latest graduates hoping to make a similar positive impact.
This year, six pupils from three high schools in the east end of Glasgow and South Lanarkshire were given 190 hours of work experience across all elements of a busy hotel environment, with each individual learning life skills and increasing their chances of employability on graduation.
The high schools taking part in the programme were St Mungo’s Academy, Glasgow, Trinity High School, Rutherglen, and Stonelaw High School, Rutherglen.
Ann Marie Burns, Project Manager, Education, Business & Community Growth, Clyde Gateway, said: “I’m delighted to see these hardworking young people successfully graduating from what is a fantastic initiative – just one of the many programmes we carry out with local schools within the Clyde Gateway catchment area to prepare them for the world of work.
“The graduates are now very well equipped for gaining employment in the hospitality industry – a sector that is continuing to grow and provides a wide range of exciting job opportunities.”
Claire Fisher, Human Resources Manager, Glasgow Marriott Hotel, said:
“The graduation marks the end of our fourth year working in partnership with Clyde Gateway and once again I have been impressed by the level of support they have provided. I have really enjoyed working with this year’s graduates and look forward to welcoming our seventh intake of young people in the New Year.”
Graduate Kyle McAllister, a fifth year pupil at Stonelaw High School in Rutherglen said:
“I’ve really enjoyed the programme, it has given me some great hospitality skills and really built up my confidence and determination to do well. The Marriott team are brilliant to work with and I have met some fantastic people.”
A similar project aimed at primary school pupils is also nearing conclusion. The Hospitality Explorers scheme is designed to give 13 primary schools in the Clyde Gateway area the opportunity to gain an insight into working in the hospitality industry.