FM CAREERS - TRAINING
SERVICE TRAINING Piers Zangana explains how some of the biggest names in the hospitality sector have come together to train and
support catering service workers adversely aff ected by the impact of the pandemic on their livelihoods
OCTOBER 2020 53
If there is
one positive
to take from
the COVID-19
pandemic,
it’s the
consequential
realisation that the hospitality
sector is one of the most significant
contributors to employment in the
UK. According to a UKHospitality
report, workplace, education,
healthcare, and defence caterers,
account for more than 293,000 jobs in
this country, generating a collective
turnover of £10.9 billion.
These numbers speak for themselves.
However, the shutdown and
subsequent slow return to workplaces in
major cities such as London, Manchester
and Birmingham has meant that
fewer catering team members have
been back to prepare, cook and serve
food in the previously bustling sta
restaurants across the UK. The impact
has been grim. Around 20 per cent of
the foodservice workforce is expected
to be out of work as a direct result of the
economic fallout of COVID-19.
This has meant that people who have
helped to build and grow one of the UK’s
most dynamic sectors are now waiting
patiently to find alternative employment.
The battle for talent has never been lost
on foodservice businesses. And neither
has the understanding that so many
of the people who helped sustain and
grow workplace restaurants across the
country now need support and guidance
through the challenging months ahead.
That's why more than 20 of the
country’s leading caterers have come
together to set up the Food Service
Circle (FSC) , a platform to o er
guidance, support, a network via social
media, and – eventually – a place where
they can look for employment back in
the sector they helped to build.
Being out of the game for just a few
months can make a return quite di icult,
thanks to the ever-changing nature
of the food business – be it trends,
legislation, or behaviours. Continuous
learning and development has always
been at the core of any foodservice
organisation and having to constantly
adapt is a strength that has helped the
sector to thrive.
TRAINING TALENT
Training is at the core of the FSC
initiative. “There is a rich pool of talent
available for companies right now and
being able to stand out from the crowd
will make the di erence in a competitive
environment,” says Dan Corlett, Head
of Food Platform, Sodexo UK & Ireland.
“Focusing on personal development
with training could be a key way to break
out of the crowd. If individuals don’t
have up-to-date skills and haven’t used
their time wisely, they may
find it di icult to find
work.”
The training
and knowledge
being o ered
by the FSC
founding
companies
is broad,
ranging from CV
templates, letter
writing tips, and
social media guidance,
to health and safety
advice and broader insights into how
businesses have adapted from industry
leaders.
Sue Thompson, BaxterStorey’s Client
Services Director and a key member
of the FSC team, explains: “As a group,
we got together to decide what will
be crucial and useful for potential
employees when the market recovers.
We agreed that we should o er both
practical advice and tips, as well as
broader strategic information about the
sector and its developments. That way
potential employees can access a broad
suite of information, which will help
them in the long term.”
As part of the FSC launch, each
business involved will play host for one
week, providing fresh webinar content
on the website.
The webinars will feature business
leaders, as well as people from all
areas of food service, including chefs,
operations, regional managers, sales
and marketing, and health & safety.
Wendy Bartlett, Founder, Bartlett
Mitchell and UKHospitality board
member, says: “This was always
about giving people access to a wide
range of knowledge and skills to help
them absorb new learnings within
organisations. We’re delighted and
humbled that so many people have
come on board to o er their support. It
has been a truly collaborative e ort.”
It’s not just food service operators
sharing insights; many associated
businesses in the catering
supply chain are giving
their support.
Among these,
Umbrella
Training is
o ering free,
up-to-date
COVID-19
awareness
training; MJ
Inspire is sharing a
specially developed
toolkit for jobseekers;
and HIT Training has
provided a masterclass in getting a
job within the food service industry. All
insights and training models are focused
on one common theme – making
people more employable in a changing
marketplace.
Sodexo’s Corlett says: “Our traditional
markets have been severely disrupted
by this pandemic. There are new market
entrants and traditional companies in
this sector who are having to diversify in
order to remain competitive.
“Being adaptive to these changes
as an individual will be critical and
it is always important to add new
strings to your bow. Whether it is a
chef considering training on new food
diets such as plant-based or vegan, or
operational teams enhancing project
management skills in agile methodology
– it is vital that people understand where
their gaps are.”
Houston & Hawkes Director Simon
Houston agrees: “Diversity will be key
over the coming years and peoples’
skills will need to change and evolve. As
companies pivot their business models,
team members’ skills will also need to
pivot. Cross-training will be key and the
divide between back and front of house
will be lessened.”
NETWORKING ONLINE
But the FSC hasn’t limited its objective
to just training. The initiative was also
developed to create a network, via
LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, for
those who have been made redundant.
This network will enable people to share
their thoughts, concerns and upli ing
stories with likeminded people. What’s
clear is the FSC initiative is definitely
welcomed by the people for whom it
was set up.
People like Lucy Tucker, a chef who
has worked in large London contracts
for 14 years and was recently made
redundant as a direct result of a
business reducing its capacity. She says:
“Losing your job can be incredibly tough,
especially when you’ve had no influence
over how this has happened. I’ve taken
a look at a number of the training
materials available and they’ve been
brilliant. There are o en lots of resources
available for other parts of the sector
but it’s really good to have something
dedicated to contact catering.”
“There are thousands of people who
are in the same boat and it’s quite nice
to be able to connect with some of these
via the channels. The FSC has made me
realise that I’m not alone in this.
In a sector known to be fiercely
competitive, the current crisis has
brought many together. While the
pandemic is temporary, better crossindustry
collaboration and training is
hopefully here to stay.
www.foodservicecircle.com
/www.foodservicecircle.com
