Leading hospitality charity Springboard has helped 1,500 young Midlanders secure jobs in hospitality as part of its ‘Springboard to 2022’ initiative, which sought to support 10,000 people nationwide into employment in the sector.

The initiative saw the charity help thousands of people from all walks of life find employment, including Ukrainian refugees, care leavers, those with mental and physical health conditions, and various other barriers.

Launched to help the industry rebuild from the ongoing impacts of the covid pandemic, ‘Springboard to 2022’ sought to tackle the hospitality, leisure, and tourism industry's long-term staffing crisis by ensuring an engaged, skilled talent pipeline to fill vacancies.

The charity is now celebrating having surpassed its initial target, helping more than 10,000 people nationwide secure jobs in hospitality – with 15 per cent of those filling vacancies within the Midlands. The 10,000 trainees of all ages, backgrounds, and walks of life, have fallen in love with hospitality and secured work within renowned businesses, including IHG, Compass, Hilton, Jury’s Inn, Starbucks, Pizza Hut, and Nando’s.

Of the 10,000 people securing jobs in hospitality, 56% were male and 46% were female, with 85% aged under 30. 40% went into front-of-house roles, 25% into the kitchen, 15% into reception jobs, 8% into cleaning, and 12% into support roles, including marketing, finance, or maintenance. Amongst the trainees was Amy Curley, 22, who participated in the Savoy Educational Trust Destination Hospitality Course and now works as a Food and Beverage Assistant at The Hilton Garden Inn.

Discussing its impact on her career, Amy said: “Before I started the Springboard programme, I didn’t know what I wanted to do and was just applying to any job that was advertised but getting nowhere. I now work at The Hilton Garden Inn as a Food and Beverage Assistant, all thanks to Springboard.

I have progressed so much because of the Springboard programme, especially my confidence within myself and towards my work, and the development of my communication skills. The programme also helped me discover that working in the hospitality industry is what I want to do and has opened me up to some jobs I wouldn’t have thought I was able to do.”

“The next thing for me is to work my way up in the hospitality industry and hopefully own my own bar in the future.” Discussing the success of Springboard to 2022, Chris Gamm, CEO of Springboard, said: “We're delighted to have reached and exceeded our goal, helping more than 10,000 people find employment this year.

“Hearing how the programme has changed the lives of participants - many of whom faced challenges such as mental or physical health conditions and the war in Ukraine - makes this achievement even more meaningful. Knowing we've been able to support the hospitality businesses we work with as they continue to face staffing challenges resulting from Brexit and COVID-19 is also incredibly positive - and we look forward to furthering this next year."

The Springboard team supports people into jobs via a range of employability training programmes that include one-to-one mentoring, and soft and hard skills development, while also providing access to work placements for participants to gain hands-on, practical experience. Springboards efforts have helped leading industry businesses by ensuring they have access to a skilled and engaged talent pipeline ready for the industry when vacancies become available.