Step22 hospitality traineeship programme set to help sector bounce back

As the hospitality industry gears up to bounce back from the effects of the pandemic and braces itself for a shortfall in staff due to Brexit, Step22 (@Catch22) is today introducing a new programme to provide specialist training for those wanting to enter the hospitality sector – and to support employers seeking to bolster their workforce.

Step22, which brings together social business and charity Catch22 and the UK’s foremost specialist coffee group Paced, is a recruitment and training solution that gets great people into great jobs in the hospitality sector. The programme is designed to be funded by the apprenticeship levy.

Latest figures show:
· There are 800,000 young people out of work in the UK (up 5% in the last year)
· 11.7% of all vacancies are in hospitality, the second highest sector
· The hospitality sector could face a total recruitment gap of over 1 million workers unless it is able to replace EU workers with British employees.
· Less than a quarter (22%) of 16-21-year-olds in the UK say they would consider a career in hospitality

Figures also show that as much as 90% of the apprenticeship levy is not spent by businesses, with many organisations not understanding what it can be used for. This means they miss out on fully-funded training for new and existing staff.

Working with like-minded employers such as Compass Group and Hej! Coffee , Step22’s Hospitality Team Member “Barista” Apprenticeships offers hospitality businesses the opportunity to develop their workforces in line with business need.

In collaboration with Compass Group’s RA Venues arm and Hej! Coffee, Step22 will be offering up to 48 young people with an interest in hospitality a chance to join a traineeship programme, giving them the skills needed to flourish within a career in the coffee side of hospitality. All candidates will receive high-quality customer service training, English and maths teaching, and training in how to effectively apply for jobs, how to wow in an interview and succeed within employment.

Chris Stoker-Jones, Director of Vocational Training at Catch22, said:

“We believe that successful apprenticeships are driven by strong employee and employer relationships. This starts with how we design our programmes to be bespoke to our partners; exploring what each employer requires and weaving their needs into the curriculum.

“Step22 will draw upon the experience of Catch22 Apprenticeships, but will focus solely on the hospitality industry, and we are passionate about creating the best apprenticeships available in the sector. We are already working alongside industry experts such as Diageo to design the most engaging, relevant and impactful apprenticeship programmes available to employers.”

Step22 is already working with a number of partners to grow their businesses and train staff, including Diageo, Mission Kitchen, Social Pantry and the London Progression Collaboration.

Find out more about how Step22 can support your business to recruit, train and develop your staff to be market leaders.