Restaurant Associates’ Hospitality Skills Programme concluded this month, celebrating the success of three promising future talents.

We are incredibly proud of our three young interns, Theo, Joseph and Aliza, who took part. The programme was a collaboration between passionate hospitality experts from across Restaurant Associates and West Lea; an organisation that offers an incredible service to help businesses recruit, develop and retain young people with special educational needs and disabilities.

Made up of a series of training workshops, which included practical advice and mentorship. The programme was designed to give participants a taste of the diverse and rewarding career opportunities within hospitality, while also building their confidence and employability skills. Over four weeks, the interns experienced every corner of hospitality. They learned the skills needed to become a barista, discovered the creativity behind mixology, and gained a deeper understanding of what great front-of-house service looks like.

Building confidence was a key theme, with practical learning at its heart. From service standards to creating the right ambience for guests, the interns developed valuable hands-on skills while also learning about the importance of health and safety in the workplace.

Friday 22nd October was graduation day, and we were incredibly proud to welcome them to our head office to celebrate their achievements over lunch with colleagues from West Lea, Jon and Jenieve and Victoria Marshall, People Director at Restaurant Associates.

"Potential is everywhere and this programme has opened the door for three young people who now have the skills, confidence and opportunity to progress within a sector and a business that will benefit from their input. We look forward to supporting the next steps and would recommend other businesses to try something new and be as innovative as Restaurant Associates have been to bring talent into their business." Jack Kelley, Independence, Business & Partnerships Manager at West Lea School. 

Reflecting on their highlights from the four weeks, the verdict from the interns was unanimous: they would wholeheartedly recommend the programme to others. So watch this space!