Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen Cornwall has secured funding from the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) to create a pioneering project with partners Watergate Bay Hotel, St Austell Brewery, Cornwall College and Visit Cornwall.
The ‘Experts Grow’ project aims to increase the productivity and perceived value of hospitality skills, and to develop professional opportunities within the hospitality industry.
Improving earnings and progression of lower paid workers
Through changes in their business practices, the partners will trial new and alternative ways of improving the earnings and progression of lower paid workers. This will be done by investing in a variety of people-centred business and training approaches with the aim of improving productivity, customer experience and, ultimately, of raising take-home pay for low paid workers.
Building on industry-recognised quality-focused working practices, the project partners will ramp up their own people-development and develop a Toolkit to make it easy and affordable for local small and medium sized businesses to improve business productivity by investing in their staff.
Making a real difference to lives
UKCES identified the hospitality and retail sectors as industries with some of the lowest pay rates in the country. One in three households in Cornwall has someone working in hospitality, so this project could make a real difference to the lives of many people if it succeeds in helping businesses find sustainable ways of improving career and pay progression.
The regional visitor economy depends on strong hospitality businesses but there is still a dependence on informal seasonal roles, something which this project hopes to help address.
Case Study
James Catherall, aged 23, is already a Floor Supervisor at Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen Cornwall having benefited from on-the-job in-house training supported by Cornwall College since joining Fifteen Cornwall as a trainee waiter in August 2013. James says:
“Two years ago I wouldn’t have believed that I’d now be managing the restaurant service with up to 135 customers and a team of 10 staff. Since I started at Fifteen Cornwall I have achieved a Level 3 Qualification and increased my earning power by over 20%.
“I’m also a Springboard Ambassador promoting careers in hospitality and I’m now working towards a Level 4 Management Qualification. I enjoy the challenge and I’ve learnt so much. I feel I’ve made a real contribution to the business.”
For more information click here