It’s so important that homeless and vulnerable people have access to employment opportunities and this is why our MP, Nickie Aiken, is such an advocate of the Hotel School.
A joint venture between The Passage and The Goring Hotel, Hotel School teaches hospitality skills to homeless and vulnerable people and matches them to sustainable employment to support them in their first steps into work.
On a visit to the school with Jeremy Goring, CEO of The Goring Hotel, Nickie was delighted to be introduced to some of the impressive students they are supporting. They’ve been busy completing work experience in hotels such as the Intercontinental, the Mondrian and, of course, the Goring, and the service-based skills they’ve been acquiring will stay with them for life.
As well as sitting in on their customer relations skills session, Nickie heard from some of the graduates of the programme, including a Ukrainian refugee who now works in a bakery in South Kensington. It was inspiring to hear her story and how the programme has helped her grow confidence.
75% of their graduates go into sustained employment and it is clear to me that even once students complete the programme, they still receive one-to-one support from this remarkable project.