Our industry is all about people. It is therefore crucial that we continue to attract, nurture and retain talent to make sure we’re always driving forward.

To future-proof our industry, we must continue to demonstrate the exciting opportunities it provides. As a barrierless sector, with little or no need for qualifications to enter, we have a unique strength.

We can provide people with the tools they need to progress - and we can tailor this progression to meet the evolving needs of our business and our clients. This is especially important within the public sector, with many not considering the role businesses like ours play in sectors such as defence or healthcare.

At a time when youth and long-term unemployment are critical issues for society, our industry is ideally placed to support the government in its mission to help people into meaningful work.

We have so many success stories in foodservice and hospitality. We see inspiring people flourish time and again, building careers and passing on their learnings to others, which also helps us to diversify and grow.

This is why Compass Group UK & Ireland launched Our Social Promise in 2021, with a focus on developing talent and providing opportunities for all. Two areas of focus for us within this strategy are helping people to grow their careers, alongside changing their lives for the better.

As part of this social value proposition, we also support NEETS (Not in Education, Employment, or Training), long term unemployed and people with disabilities.

Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships are key to our development strategy. Every day I have the privilege of seeing the positive impact apprenticeships have on people’s lives.

We currently have over 700 people enrolled on apprenticeships, covering more than 40 subjects and standards from entry to degree level. We’ve recently elevated our apprenticeship offering with the introduction of six ‘Signature Programmes’. Developed in partnership with leading external providers, these programmes target crucial areas of the business, ranging from culinary to service, sustainability and procurement.

One significant success for us was identifying that we needed more focus on our Senior Culinary talent. We developed our prestigious Forward with Marcus Wareing programme, in collaboration with HIT Training (HIT), which has received high-profile recognition and continues to evolve – we just launched cohort six and have introduced ‘Forward Service’, for colleagues in senior front of house roles.

Classroom to Careers

Attracting people straight from school is an important approach, as it translates into tangible career opportunities, while supporting workforce development and long-term social mobility.

We have seen phenomenal success with our Junior Chef Academy (JCA), in partnership with Brakes Foodservice, offering after-school culinary masterclasses to young people aged 14–16, providing practical culinary skills and career insights.

We’ve updated our school engagement strategy to showcase the many rewarding roles available in our industry. This includes the launch of our Virtual Work Experience Platform in partnership with Youth Employment UK & Futures For All.

Beyond school, we help young adults who have a learning disability or are autistic, or both, to make a positive transition from education into permanent employment through our Supported Internships programme, which is run by DFN Project SEARCH. We will also be supporting the Youth Guarantee, with a six-week pre-employability course with HIT, King’s Trust and Change Please.

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. Now that’s truly exciting. Let’s celebrate that and encourage more people to join our sector.