The Savoy Educational Trust has provided City College Plymouth with over £58,000 of funding to refurbish its student-run deli bistro where catering students learn and develop culinary skills.
The funding grant will enable the College’s popular Junior Chef’s Academy to run for another year, offering young people between the ages of 14 and 16 the chance to get a flavour of cookery in a nine-week after school masterclass.
With plans in Portsmouth for more hotels and the potential impact of Brexit on this sector’s workforce, City College Plymouth is taking a proactive approach to develop the skills pipeline needed for the sector and region.
Karen Dorow, the College’s Director of Business, Hospitality, Care and Lifestyle, said: “This funding ensures the delivery of our training programmes in a realistic professional working environment which is in line with modern industry standards; thus, raising the opportunities and aspirations of both our students and Junior Chefs.”
Amanda Lumley, Executive Director of Destination Plymouth, said: “The hospitality and catering sector is incredibly important in Plymouth representing over 7% of employment and is suffering from a severe skills shortage. This is a real threat to Plymouth and the South West’s tourism industry, so it is vital we encourage young people to get involved in catering and consider it as a serious career choice.
“Programmes like the Junior Chefs Academy and enabling young people to learn in the best facilities which truly emulate the real life working kitchen set-ups are invaluable to securing the future of our region’s catering industry.”
H&C News Comment: With the people and skills shortages in the UK showing no signs of abating, the grant from The Savoy Educational Trust enabling City College Plymouth to continue its Junior Chef’s Academy is of enormous practical benefit.
The grant from The Savoy Educational Trust, the ongoing operation of City College Plymouth’s Junior Chef’s Academy and the work being done by Karen Dorow and others at the college all deserves applause and recognition. This is all directly contributing to alleviate the people and skills shortages in Portsmouth’s hospitality sector.
H&C News reports frequently on hospitality and catering businesses that are addressing the people and skills shortages in our industry, sometimes through HR initiatives and others by setting example.
Earlier this week for example we reported on a former chef apprentice who is now helping young chefs fulfil their potential.
We also in our annual event H&C EXPO bring people together to discuss and debate how best to address the people and skills shortages in our industry.
Our approach can be different and bring people together who would not normally get the opportunity to. Sitting students and industry leaders down together for example, we adopted this approach and enabled those looking to enter our industry talk with people who manage large parts of it.
Peter Ducker FIH, Chief Executive, Institute of Hospitality was one of the industry leaders that took part. In the video below, you can hear and see why he thought this much needed event was “unique”.
We would like to report on more similar examples and initiatives from organisations across our industry, if you would like to put one forward for publishing in H&C News and/or discussion at H&C EXPO 2019 please contact Denis Sheehan.