Springboard hold Hospitality Takeover Day in Northern Ireland
On the 19th of October, we held a Hospitality takeover day at Galgorm Resort and Spa, Ballymena in Northern Ireland.
The day was attended by over 160 students from across the Mid and East Antrim Council area and was also kindly sponsored by them.
Students were lucky enough to participate in a variety of workshops, including; mocktail making, facilities management, bed making, recruitment and silver service.
Six of our fantastic Springboard Ambassadors, including radio presenter and TV chef, Paula McIntyre, went down to show their support and enthusiasm for the hospitality industry.
We were lucky enough to sit down with Paula and ask her about the work she does to support Springboard, and how it has impacted our mission to futureproof the talent pipeline for hospitality.
Listen to the interview here.
Kate Nicholls joins Springboard board of trustees
Springboard is delighted to announce that UK Hospitality CEO, Kate Nicholls, has joined its board of trustees.
Kate has worked closely with Springboard for a number of years, with UK Hospitality and Springboard sharing many common goals around promoting careers in hospitality and attracting talent to it.
Kate said: “I am delighted to be joining Springboard as a trustee. With the hospitality sector facing acute labour and skills shortages, Springboard’s work to provide careers advice and support to young people, supported pathways into employment and to boost training and professional development through their range of programmes has never been more vital.
“Becoming a trustee means I can help to champion, promote and shape that work going forward to give more people the opportunity to experience what a career in hospitality can do for them.”
Springboard chairman Alastair Storey said: “Kate is one of hospitality’s most influential figures and played an enormously important role supporting the industry through Brexit, Covid and now the current staffing and cost challenges.
“The trustees are delighted to welcome her to the board to support Springboard’s mission to futureproof the talent pipeline for hospitality, attract new talent and showcase the brilliant opportunities a career in hospitality offer.”
Meet Springboard’s board of trustees here.
Embrace Hospitality, Leisure and Tourism
The Springboard Charity is working with Tourism Northern Ireland to launch an exciting roadshow of events showcasing careers in hospitality, leisure and tourism, exclusively for students in Northern Ireland!
‘Embrace Hospitality, Leisure and Tourism’ are full day events for school year groups 10-14, taking place from January to March 2023.
The series of events aim to inspire and educate the next generation on the exciting career opportunities and pathways that the students can follow in hospitality, leisure and tourism when they leave education.
Places will be limited on the ‘Embrace Hospitality, Leisure and Tourism’ events, which will take place in different cities and towns across Northern Ireland. Teachers and careers advisors of students in years 10-14 are urged to sign up quickly to take advantage of this great opportunity, fully funded by Tourism Northern Ireland and delivered by The Springboard Charity. Springboard offers specialist skills training and careers support for those entering the hospitality, leisure and tourism sector.
Carolyn Boyd, Tourism Northern Ireland’s Industry Development Manager, said “Our vibrant industry is powered by a dedicated workforce who are passionate and dedicated to delivering exceptional service across a range of career opportunities. Our industry is growing from strength to strength so there is no better time to inspire our young people and their parents to choose pathways in hospitality, tourism, and leisure. “
Caitriona Lennox, Head of Northern Ireland at the Springboard Charity, said: “This exciting partnership with Tourism Northern Ireland will hugely benefit the students who participate in the roadshow events, helping them to start making important decisions about their futures and opening their eyes to the broad range of careers available within hospitality, leisure and tourism. Plus it will play a key role in supporting employers in the sector in attracting the star workers of the future.”
To sign your class or school up, please visit https://careerscope.uk.net/nischoolsupport/
Jamie Oliver and Taster launch Pasta Dreams
Jamie Oliver, world-renowned chef, food campaigner and cookbook author, and Taster, the delivery-first restaurant group, shake up the delivery market with an exciting new collaboration, Pasta Dreams.
Pasta Dreams launches in London tomorrow (13 October) from a delivery-first pop-up in Archer Street, Soho. The pop-up will be open for customers to click and collect from, as well as order on Uber Eats and other major delivery platforms. Over the coming weeks, Pasta Dreams will be rolled out to further sites across London and other UK cities, with the ambition to become the UK’s number one delivery pasta brand. Pasta Dreams also launches tomorrow in France, Taster’s original market.
The Pasta Dreams menu has been specifically crafted with delivery in mind, bringing quality ingredients to disrupt the offering on the delivery market. The menu features innovative pasta dishes by one of the world’s best-known chefs, who has ensured the dishes are flavour-packed to give you a dreamy experience.
Pasta Dreams showcases Jamie Oliver twists on some of the UK’s favourite Italian-inspired dishes with a selection of handmade fresh pasta, filled shapes and epic bakes, featuring the likes of mezze maniche, spaghetti alla chitarra, gnocchi, casarecce and ravioli. All suppliers are required to adhere to Jamie Oliver’s high food-sourcing standards on sustainability and welfare, which means ingredients are carefully sourced and deliver maximum flavour. From ‘Carta Di Musica’ Sardinian crackers, cacio x carbonara bowls and margarita gnocchi, through to tiramisu jars, the menu has been designed to present a new, quality offering for delivery.
But that’s not all. Jamie Oliver has always been committed to empowering younger generations through food, whether through industry initiatives such as Fifteen or by
inspiring children to cook with the likes of Cooking Buddies. And Taster’s business allows entrepreneurs to succeed, enabling the next generation of restaurant owners via its innovative franchise model. So, Pasta Dreams isn’t just about delicious food, it also has a clear social focus.
Through Pasta Dreams, Jamie and Taster will give a platform to guest “dreamers” – ambitious foodies who will win the chance to work with the Jamie Oliver development team, creating seasonal specials featured on the Pasta Dreams delivery menu. £1 from the sale of every collaboration dish will be donated to Springboard, a charity that works to inspire young people in hospitality. The “Dreamers” competition will launch in early 2023 on the Pasta Dreams Instagram.
Jamie Oliver, chef, restaurateur and cookbook author, said: “Taking some of my fave Italian dishes and making them ready for delivery has been an epic journey. By partnering with Taster, we’ve created a menu that is vibrant and delicious, plus we’re giving opportunities to passionate cooks and supporting a brilliant cause. I’m really proud to be launching Pasta Dreams. I know you’re gonna love it.”
Anton Soulier, CEO and founder of Taster, said: “It’s no secret that the way we eat has fundamentally changed, with food just a few taps away. It’s been a total pleasure working so closely with Jamie and his team to dream up iconic pasta dishes for delivery. He is the perfect partner for us because we share a belief that everyone should have access to high-quality delicious food, wherever they are. Through Pasta Dreams we want to redefine how people view and experience food designed for delivery – we can’t wait to see how it grows.”
Chris Gamm, CEO, Springboard: “This is an exciting project and Springboard are thrilled to be involved. Jamie Oliver is an inspirational chef, known for nurturing young people into great careers in the kitchen, as well as getting nourishing and delicious food onto the plates of school children and millions of people across the UK. There are many synergies between the work of our organisation and the ethos of Jamie Oliver. We look forward to working with our talented Springboard FutureChef alumni and giving them the opportunity to have their dish featured on the Pasta Dreams menu.”
Core Impact are proud Springboard Ambassadors
Here’s what Core Impact had to say after attending one of our programmes:
“We had the pleasure of supporting the delivery of Springboard’s Employability Programme. We are proud ambassadors of Springboard and know the excellent work the team do, but this programme really showcased all of the best aspects of this work in one go.
The programme itself offers a broad range of experiences of the hospitality industry, opening up many options to the trainees. It’s educational, fun and inspiring. They truly went over and above the expectations to ensure this was a positive experience for the trainees. They offer a very personal and caring approach to support and build the confidence of each individual.
We really enjoyed our participation in this programme and we could see in the room the change over a short period of time of each person in attendance. They felt safe to share their challenges and discuss their progress, they were able to consider their options and make decisions on their future. In the end it was amazing to hear the success stories and the employment opportunities that opened up to them, opportunities they would never have had without this programme.”
Nestlé Professional Sustainability Symposium
Sustainability Symposium is a series of podcasts featuring panel discussions between industry experts that focus on some of the key sustainability issues and topics that confront the out of home food and drink sector today.
Never before has it been as much of a challenge to attract talent into the hospitality industry. Not only operationally back of house and front of house, but also up and down the supply and value chains. It is one of the biggest challenges the sector faces.
The objective of the podcast is to encourage broader debate on this subject and for this episode’s discussion, Springboard’s National Head of Careers & Education, Amanda McDade, joined the conversation with the following industry experts:
- John Holden – Chair & Founder Member of Bridging The Skills Gap; Food & Beverage Lecturer, Cheshire South and West College
- Julia Jones – Head of B2B Marketing, Nestlé Professional
- Sophie Taylor – Chef de Partie at the Gleneagles Townhouse and 2021 Toque d’Or Front of House Student Winner, 2022 Toque d’Or Front of House Judge
- Nick Hughes – Associate Editor, Footprint (Chair)
Link to original article: https://www.foodservicefootprint.com/nestle-professional-sustainability-symposium-episode-2-the-future-of-talent/
Springboard’s first face to face Ambassador Networking Event
On Monday 1st August, we held our first face to face Ambassador Networking event at The Jurys Inn on Board Street, Birmingham.
After the relaunch of our Ambassador Programme in September 2021, we knew that we wanted to hold an event specifically for our Ambassadors, so as the restrictions imposed by Covid began to ease up, we got to work planning the event. We set the date and sent out invitations to our current Ambassadors, as well as encouraging those in the Midlands area who wanted to learn more about Springboard and what it takes to become an Ambassador, to also attend.
Chris Gamm, CEO of Springboard kicked off the events agenda, with a brief introduction on Springboard, who we are and why support from our Ambassadors is vital.
Chris said, “Springboard Ambassadors play a vital role in supporting our work, showcasing the industry to our trainees and championing hospitality to the next generation. It was great to meet some of our engaged Ambassadors in the Midlands and hear how they are getting involved in supporting Springboard’s work.”
Lucy Bradley, Ambassador Project Lead at Springboard, took to the stage to give an overview on the Ambassador role, detailing how to get involved and sharing the new Ambassador Portal.
Guest speakers at the event included Kris Hall, Founder and Director from The Burnt Chef Project, and Conrad Brunton from Tonic Talent. Kris gave an insightful talk on the history of The Burnt Chef Project, and about their plans towards tackling mental health in the Hospitality industry – he even brought Ellie the Elephant along for the day, to quite literally, squash the elephant in the room! Conrad said, “It was an absolute pleasure to attend and talk, meet new faces, as well as discuss recruitment and staff retainment issues within the industry.”
The event was a great success with over 30 Ambassadors attending, who left feeling engaged and enthusiastic about offering further support to Springboard.
We hope to hold future face to face events across various regions in the coming months, so keep your eyes peeled for your invite!
Not already an Ambassador? Become one today!
Have a question? Contact Lucy Bradley, Ambassador Project Lead on: lucyb@springboarduk.org.uk
HotStats provides full time roles for young people under the Kickstart Scheme
As a Kickstart Gateway Employer, Springboard supported more than 800 young people into work placements in the hospitality industry across more than 50 employers.
One of these employers was Springboard’s corporate patron partner HotStats, who took on two young people through the Kickstart scheme and recently offered them full-time positions.
Meet Meg and Conner, and listen to them give an insight into what their new roles involve and how Kickstart made a difference to their lives.
Springboard celebrate milestone moment with 7,000 young people supported into work through Springboard to 2022 initiative
- 7,063 young people have been supported into work in the hospitality industry, reaching 70% of their target to help 10,000 people into work by the end of the year
- £5m has been raised by the industry to fund the project and support its talent pipeline
- Lead partner Savoy Educational Trust has surpassed its target and has directly supported 1,077 young people into work in hospitality through the courses it has funded
UK hospitality charity Springboard is celebrating the impressive milestone of supporting more than 7,000 individuals to find employment in the hospitality industry through their initiative Springboard to 2022. The project aims to help 10,000 unemployed young people in finding work in the industry by the end of the year.
Launched to help the industry rebuild from the ongoing impacts of the pandemic, ‘Springboard to 2022’ is the industry solution to tackling hospitality, leisure, and tourism’s long-term staffing crisis. The team supports leading industry businesses by ensuring they have access to a skilled and engaged talent pipeline ready for the industry.
19-year-old Nizor Lok Noshock from Stirling used a Springboard training course to help her secure her role working in the Garden Restaurant at Kimpton Charlotte Square in Edinburgh. Nizor was the 7,000th individual to find work in the hospitality industry with the help of Springboard to 2022.
Commenting on her experience, Nizor said: “I heard about Springboard through the Job Centre and it was the best decision I ever made. After getting an interview with the Kimpton hotel, I was able to put my training into practice, and I was delighted to be offered a place in the Garden Restaurant.
“I absolutely love it because everyone is open, friendly, helpful and patient. I’m learning and progressing every day and I think my life can only get better now that I found a job I love.”
Chris Gamm, CEO of Springboard, said: “This is a significant milestone for our employment initiative, Springboard to 2022, and it has been fantastic to see the great progress we have been making with the help of our project partners; Savoy Educational Trust, Barclays, BaxterStorey, Diageo and Trusthouse Charitable Foundation.
“It is incredibly positive to see business picking up, but staffing remains the biggest challenge. It is something I see every day and is impacting growth for many hospitality businesses.”
Springboard to 2022 also celebrated two other major milestones this month. The project’s lead partner Savoy Educational Trust supported 1,077 young people into hospitality roles through courses it had funded. Meanwhile, Springboard also hit the fundraising target of £5m required to deliver the two-year goal of helping 10,000 young people secure hospitality jobs.
Springboard supports young people into jobs in the hospitality industry via its employability training programmes that includes one-to-one mentoring, soft skills and employability development (confidence, work attitude, CV building, interview practice, time management), practical industry and hard skills training including food safety and customer service, as well as access to work experience placements.
For more information on Springboard to 2022, visit https://springboard.uk.net/support-us/springboard-to-2022/
The Springboard Charity supporting the community thanks to National Lottery funding
Destination Hospitality Wales: Changing lives through transferable life throughout Wales are helping their community to adapt, recover and thrive, thanks to National Lottery players, by funding this three-year project, which will directly help communities throughout Wales to thrive by giving unemployed people the training, advice and support they need to get them into sustainable jobs within the Hospitality, Leisure and Tourism industries.
The Springboard Charity successfully applied for £369,190 from The National Lottery Community Fund.
Chris Gamm, CEO at The Springboard Charity said: “We are delighted to be supporting communities throughout Wales into sustainable employment in the hospitality industry. This project will be a blend of both digital and face to face support to enable us to reach those hardest to reach and across Wales”
To find out more about applying for a grant from The National Lottery Community Fund to support your community, visit www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/wales
Further Information:
Gemma Edmonds
07825776819
Coopers’ Hall, Devonshire Square, London, EC2M 4TH
For more details about Destination Hospitality Wales visit: https://springboard.uk.net/