training


Showcasing skills at World Skills London


sam coulstock is careers director of The Springboard Charity and Springboard UK


mayor’s £14m for london ‘opportunities’ peTe hAYmAn


London mayor Boris Johnson has earmarked £14m to be invested in skills and job opportunities before, during and aſter the 2012 Games. Johnson pledged to con-


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tinue funding “vital schemes” specifically set up as part of efforts to deliver a skills leg- acy from the Games. Tree different projects will


e are launching a national campaign to encourage top industry businesses to support a hospitality


showcase at World Skills London 2011 – to be held at London’s ExCeL between 5-8 October. Springboard is working in conjunction


with the British Hospitality Association, the Institute of Hospitality and People 1st to create the most inspiring and most visited interactive exhibition at the event. World Skills London 2011 is the greatest


opportunity the hospitality industry will ever have to showcase the huge variety of jobs and careers that it can offer young peo- ple in one go. We urge employers, colleges and other industry bodies to put their full weight behind it. Put simply, this event is to skills what the 2012 Games are to sport. It will see young people from across the


globe competing in a multitude of differ- ent industries to become the best in their chosen skill area. Te event will attract over 150,000 visitors, the majority aged between 14-19. With such a concentration of poten- tial recruits, it’s vital that hospitality is able to show it’s an industry of critical impor- tance to the nation and one which offers a huge range of career opportunities. Te exhibition area would be designed


to stimulate every visitor’s interest, be highly memorable, and would ensure that they all recognised that hospitality was able to offer a huge variety of exciting and sat- isfying careers – while having some fun at the same time. But for the event to be a success, strong support from the industry is necessary. Tere are three levels of sup- port – Silver (£1,000), Gold (£3,000) and Platinum (£5,000) – for small, medium and larger businesses respectively. Sponsors will be given coverage on the


stand appropriate to their level of support, but all will be highlighted as among the best employers across the industry. Te event will offer a once-in-a-lifetime


chance to promote the sector as a career for the 21st century, and will enable employers


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receive a share of the £14m over the next three years – part of a targeted bid to ensure Londoners can find jobs or enhance their prospects. Johnson said: “We have


Te mayor said three projects would receive a share of the £14m pot


always said that the skills and jobs prospects of Londoners must be transformed as a result of the Games and Londoners should rightly hold us to that pledge.


“Working with our partners, we have


already helped thousands of Londoners into work or training and I am confident that we can achieve even more.”


SkillsActive slams YA closure decision peTe hAYmAn


SkillsActive, the sector skills council for active leisure and learning, has criticised a decision to close the Young Apprenticeship (YA) pro- gramme to new candidates. Although the scheme will


no longer be offered, the Department for Education will continue to fund existing students on the programme. It comes after the Wolf


Review of vocational educa- tion – published earlier this month – had raised doubts over the efficacy of YAs. SkillsActive chief executive Stephen Studd


Te decision to stop Young Apprenticeships is “hugely disappointing”


said: “Tis is a hugely disappointing decision that seems to be based on a questionable and potentially flawed report; especially when con- tinuous evaluation has proven its value. “It will deprive young people of an invalu- able experience that would have built their


self esteem, given them a grounding in crucial leadership and employability skills. Te record of the programme speaks for itself.” According to SkillsActive, a recent evalua-


tion of the programme found that 100 per cent of employers thought it was a “good starting point” for careers in the active leisure sector.


Hilton unveils new chef mentoring initiative peTe hAYmAn


A chef mentoring initiative has been launched by Hilton Hotels and Resortss to develop emerging talent across its UK estate. Some of the hotel operator’s top chefs will be assigned to protégés, to whom the chefs


Read Leisure Opportunities online: www.leisureopportunities.co.uk/digital


will offer support and advice. Michelin-starred Chris Galvin is among the chefs to take part. Galvin said: “Tis will hopefully inspire


young chefs to continue on their career path and keep the UK on the map as an exciting culinary destination.”


Twitter: @leisureopps © CYBERTREK 2011


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