UK: Red Carnation Hotel Group has become the first hospitality company to participate in Inspired Community Group’s Motivator Programme.
Inspired Community Group strives to educate young people on potential careers. The company aims to help young people make educated career choices by providing motivation to reach their goals and exposure to industries and the world of work.
The Motivator Programme is one of Inspired Community Group’s main projects. The programme allows employees who are passionate about their industry to volunteer to educate young people about their work. Volunteers undergo training and are then paired with a school, with whom they set up termly engagements. Within these engagements, motivators educate but also seek out talent, so that they may also set up a network of potential recruits that they encounter in the schools.
Sam Coulstock, founder and CEO of Inspired Community Group, said: “We have a moral duty to inspire our young people about the amazing world of hospitality, and our Motivators are doing just this. Inspired aims to work with other industries and sectors to showcase the world of work and stimulate minds about future careers.”
Red Carnation Hotel Group, who produced five motivators for its team, is the first hospitality company to take part in the programme.
Vice president of people and culture at Red Carnation, Liz McGivern, said: “We are excited to be supporting Inspired with the Motivator programme. The hospitality industry has faced considerable challenges in the last 12 months. As we start to recover and reopen our hotels again, the focus on finding the next generation of recruits will be our top priority. At Red Carnation Hotels, we have long championed our sector in every way we can. So to have our team trained as Motivators to inspire young people in schools to come to join our industry with a sustainable programme – is something that we fully support.”
A pilot programme was run in partnership with Savoy Educational Trust, who provided six motivators.
Participating companies, as well as the schools, have been receptive to the new programme.
Michael Barry, careers lead at St Columba’s Catholic Boys’ School, said: “Inspiration leads to aspiration. That is our ethos for our careers education programme at St Columba’s Catholic Boys’ School. Working with Inspired Community Group with a trained Motivator will allow us to showcase and inspire our students about the world of work. Having a team of motivators to deliver a powerful message about careers will help the students make informed decisions.”
Caterer.com is a sponsor and supporter of the Motivator Programme.
Brand director at Caterer.com, Kathy Dyball, said: “The success of the hospitality sector depends on its ability to attract the right talent, but the skills gap sector has only been amplified by the events of the last two years. Every hotel, restaurant, pub, bar and food service provider knows they can’t deliver without great employees, and it takes focus to hire and retain them. Therefore, the hospitality sector needs a sustained and robust talent pipeline.
“The attraction of future talent starts in education,” she added, “gaining the attention of young people as they make early steps towards career choices, engaging them in the fantastic experience of the hospitality workplace. Caterer.com stands with the industry, for the industry, and exists with the focused goal of helping people find the right job for them in hospitality. That’s why we are pleased to partner with the Inspired Community Group’s Motivator Programme because it takes the exciting and vibrant story of hospitality careers directly into the classroom and lights a spark in young minds to inspire them to pursue a career in the sector.”
