Brookwood Partnership and Springboard to launch summer school in Leeds to help create jobs

Independent education caterer the Brookwood Partnership has teamed up with industry charity Springboard to launch a summer school to help create jobs within the hospitality sector.

The inaugural Springboard Summer School, sponsored by Brookwood, will open in Leeds on 14 June with a recruitment day, after which 12 young people will be selected to take part in the project. Despite the recent fall in unemployment, levels are still at 2.6 million, with areas in the North the worst affected.

Up to 100 young people are expected to attend the event at Leeds Metropolitan University, where they will be given the chance to meet catering and hospitality professionals and hear about what opportunities are available within a growing industry.

Brookwood, which recently established a presence in the North of England, and Accor hotel brand Mercure are among a number of hospitality employers that will be exhibiting at the launch day.

Yorkshire-born Sue Parfett, managing partner at Brookwood, said: "One of our founding philosophies is to train and develop people and by ensuring that we recruit the best we deliver the best for our client."

"With our business growing, we have recently established a presence in Leeds and will be bringing our fresh-food approach to independent schools in the North very soon. By sponsoring this event, we are giving these young people the opportunity they need to establish a career in one of the best industries in the country."

Commenting on the new summer school, Springboard chief executive Anne Pierce added: "It provides young people who simply don't know what to do when they leave school or college, or have difficulties in finding work, with a supported transition into work and allows people the chance to make the right career decisions.

"With growing youth unemployment there has never been a more important time to create these opportunities. At the same time, it provides hospitality employers with a source of motivated and enthusiastic home-grown talent."

By Janie Manzoori-Stamford

E-mail your comments to Janie Manzoori-Stamford here.

If you have something to say on this story or anything else join the debate at Table Talk - Caterer's new networking forum. Go to www.catererandhotelkeeper.com/tabletalk

Catererandhotelkeeper.com jobs

Looking for a new job? Find your next job here with Catererandhotelkeeper.com jobs