The Challenge
Hospitality is the 4th biggest industry in the UK
It’s suffering a major skills shortage due to unprecedented growth
There are 4 key challenges with regards to staffing today…
- Unemployment rates have continued to fall: In 2011 they were at 8.1% compared to 2017 where it is at 4.8%.
- Demographic changes by 2022 changes in the labour pool are predicted where there will be circa 700k fewer 16 to 25-year olds and 3.7m more over 50’s.
- Increased migration due to Brexit which has handed us a nightmare. In London alone, there are between 25.7% and 38% of EU nationals working across all sectors.
- Poor staff retention rates are a major contributing factor. In 2015 the overall staff turnover rate in the hospitality sector was 72.1% which is 30% higher than the average turnover rate for all private sector workers. By 2022 we need to recruit further 11k chefs.
The Solution
Of 5 Key Initiatives, one could play a key role…
- Ex-offenders (Clink graduates)
- Women (be more flexible with hours and job share roles)
- Retail staff (transferable skills from a depleting high street)
- Increase staff retention (better conditions and benefits)
- Stop migration (government lead)
Employ an Ex-offender / Clink Graduate SOON
The Background
The prison service currently cares for 86k adults in prison in England & Wales (82k men and 4k women).
Sadly 44% of them return to prison within the first year of release and for those who serve sentences under 12 months this increases to 59%. (Bromley Briefings Prison fact file –Summer 2017).
Our Solution
The Clink was created in 2009 to break a cycle of crime and support our industry by training in the region of 500 prisoners every year.
After 18 months of participating with our programme we end up with highly trained and qualified chefs. We also train front of house staff in our restaurants creating graduates that are very employable.
The ex-offender will also be one of your most loyal employees as they are so grateful that you have given them a chance (that no one else has).
If you need further proof of success: Clink restaurants were all number 1 on Tripadvisor in their respective areas in July 2017 including Brixton which was No 1 out of 18,707 restaurants in Greater London.
Our Approach
Work Ethic: Prisoners today work a 40-hour week and train at The Clink Restaurants in HMP High Down, Cardiff, Brixton and Styal as well as at our Clink Gardens in HMP High Down and Send.
Qualifications: In our kitchens, they gain City & Guilds NVQ Level 2 Certificates in Food Preparation, Food Service & Food Hygiene. In our gardens, prisoners work to gain their level 2 diploma in horticulture.
Training: All programs simulate a professional working environment, prisoners with 6 to 18 months left to serve volunteer for the programme, going through full time training to reach the required level to succeed.
Teamwork: In addition to their qualifications they gain confidence, motivation and pride, learning to work as part of a team in an environment that does not look or feel like prison.
Chefs: Prisoners are classically trained using fresh local and seasonal ingredients. Nothing is bought in ready-made. They fillet all the fish, bone the joints of meat, make pasta, soup, sauces and ice cream.
Educating the public: The other group of people we train are members of the public: in 2016 we served over 60,000 customers changing their perceptions of prisoners, helping them understand the prison population is just a cross section of society like us, who want & deserve a second chance.
Employment Opportunities: When the prisoners are nearing release our support workers work with them helping write their CVs, disclosure letters and look for employment opportunities and accommodation for them.
Interviews: On the release day, we meet them at the gate and take them to their accommodation and probation if required. Within 24 hours they’ll interview with one of 280 prospective employers who’ve already sign-up to take on a clink graduate subject to a satisfactory interview.
Accountability: Some may say they feel it’s risky taking on an ex-offender. I would beg to differ. If you employed the average person off the street all you would know was: their name, job title, start and finish dates and maybe their last salary. With The Clink graduate’s permission, you’ll know what they did wrong and how they behaved 24 hours a day 7 days a week during their sentence and what qualifications and experience they gained whilst in The Clink Restaurant or Gardens.
Loyalty: As an employer, you’ll get disappointments from employing ex-offenders but perhaps not as much as the average person off the street. So, if your company’s employment policy does not allow you to employ ex-offenders, please challenge and ask them to review it and if they need persuading bring them to a Clink restaurant near you soon … after all, the hospitality sector is crying out for new people, and you could be part of a new movement to help overcome the major challenge and support your community at the same time.
If you would like to learn more about our work, please visit our website www.theclinkcharity.org or email enquiries@theclinkrestaurant.com
Christopher Moore FIH, FRSPH
Chief Executive
The Clink Charity