CATERING
APPRENTICESHIPS – THE WINNING RECIPE
Mike Sunley, CEO of Lexington, discusses why apprentices are so important to Lexington and how apprenticeship programmes, like Lex School of Talent, can go a long way in helping to boost business growth.
Young people today get their fair share of bad press – suggesting they don’t have the skills required in today’s workplace. What many of us seem to forget is that they are, in fact, our customers and leaders of the future – they are talented individuals, many of whom have a hunger to learn and a passion to make something of themselves; they simply need a helping hand.
The apprenticeship landscape is changing; not only are they becoming an increasingly popular route for young people to enter the work place, but more industries are now offering them and the quality is improving greatly. In the last year alone the number of employers signing up apprentices is up by nearly a third (32%).
We have been running our apprenticeship programme, Lex School of Talent, since 2011 and the business has benefited in ways I never thought it would. By taking on people new to the world of work we have an opportunity to shape and mould them so they learn things the Lexington way – they buy into our culture and values from day one.
Their hunger to learn and eagerness has also had a real positive impact on the morale and engagement of existing employees and created a real spark and sense of fun in the workplace.
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The world of work is evolving faster now than it ever has done and it will continue to speed up. This fresh blood and new energy is vital to support business development if our organisations are going to keep up. Our apprentices will help us to change our games and take us to the next level.
As leaders we have a responsibility to give our young people the skills they need to succeed. This does not mean just giving them a job and training – we need to support them along their journey. This requires investment, but there are clear business benefits.
Our apprentices are some of the most hardworking, conscientious members of our team and it now seems hard to imagine operating without them – they are hungry to get involved and this hunger fuels the fire and creates fresh energy in teams.
Businesses need apprentices, as much as apprentices need businesses. Yes, it is a bold statement but it’s the reality. The other big reality is that businesses setting up an apprenticeship programme need to invest and create partnerships to ensure the scheme evolves and stays fresh.
We go all out to make the apprentice programme fun. We invest time to make sure our chefs have great role models and meet some of the best in
their industry so that they continue to feel inspired and push to be the best. We also work hard to support them as they develop, mapping out their career and working with them to help them progress.
By thinking about what will inspire our apprentices, giving them the opportunity to work with people outside our business, and thinking about their next career move we have retained a fabulous group of talented chefs who are committed to Lexington but maybe more poignantly to their craft and we’ve facilitated that.
Experiences like partnering with Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen apprentices and working at other industry events and venues all help in opening their eyes to the world that’s out there and it gives them that hunger to strive and succeed.
We need to lose the misconception that, because someone doesn’t have work experience, they won’t add value. An apprentice scheme gives businesses the opportunity not only to select the right people but also an opportunity to shape their attitude.
It’s simple – apprenticeships are
successful, I live that reality, as does the whole Lexington team and since we launched Lex School of Talent we’ve never looked back.
www.lexingtoncatering.london twitter.com/TomorrowsFM
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