CH&CO’s double commitment to Springboard and its 'Springboard to 2022' programme

CH&CO has strengthened its support of UK hospitality charity, Springboard, and its new initiative Springboard to 2022 with two clear commitments.

The independent catering and hospitality business has pledged to advertise all its entry level roles with Springboard before advertising externally. It has also signed up to work with Springboard to create jobs through the government’s Kickstart scheme.

Springboard to 2022 is the charity’s industry response to hospitality’s skills deficit and staffing crisis, which has been exacerbated by the pandemic, ensuring a skilled and engaged talent pipeline for when the industry needs it most. The goal is to have 10,000 young people trained and ready for work, in line with the industry’s recovery, by December 2022.

CH&CO has pledged to update its recruitment process to help Springboard realise this goal. Moving forward, all entry level roles across the business – including Gather & Gather, Vacherin and Company of Cooks – will be advertised through Springboard before any other external recruitment platforms.

CH&CO is a diverse hospitality business operating in workplaces, education, healthcare, destinations, venues and events and has the potential to offer a wide variety of exciting opportunities. It is estimated that as the industry reopens, this could equate to more than 560 roles over the coming months.

In addition, CH&CO has chosen to work with Springboard to generate work placements for young people through the Kickstart scheme. Kickstart is part of the government’s Plan for Jobs strategy to help create jobs for young people at risk of long-term unemployment as companies kickstart their business post Covid-19.

Charlotte Hutchings, group people director at CH&CO, said: “We’re delighted to be working with Springboard to support its valuable Springboard to 2022 programme. The pandemic and lockdowns have caused untold damage to what was an already delicate hospitality talent pool. As an industry, as we rebuild, we all have a responsibility to restore confidence in hospitality as a diverse and progressive career option and to create opportunities and support for the many young people that have been displaced and disillusioned over the past 12 months.

“Working with Springboard, we are proud to be able to pledge that through our updated recruitment process and our engagement with the Kickstart programme, we will play our part in tackling the staffing crisis and regenerating the industry. Investing in people is invaluable to protect the future of our business and the industry. After all, people are what hospitality is all about.”

Chris Gamm, CEO, Springboard, said: “It’s critical that leaders from across our sector come together to aid the long-term recovery of hospitality post-Covid. We’re thrilled to receive further support from our partners CH&CO for our new project Springboard to 2022, which aims to have 10,000 young people trained and ready for work by December 2022. Through our new initiative we will work towards ensuring a skilled and engaged talent pipeline ready for when the industry needs it most.

“We would like to thank CH&CO for its commitment to support Springboard’s response to the hospitality industry’s massive skills deficit and staffing crisis. It’s collaborations and industry alliances like these that will enable the sector to recover and thrive once more.”