Springboard's Awards for Excellence celebrate what a great place the hospitality industry is to work. The 2009 awards, held at the Guoman Tower Hotel, London last November, saw The Best Regional Initiative awarded to a collaboration between Compass Group's ESS Offshore division and Fraserburgh Academy in Aberdeen.
This award, sponsored by Cadbury, recognises the importance of developing links between industry and education. The winner must have demonstrated an outstanding partnership with schools, colleges or universities.
WHO ARE THEY?
ESS Offshore is now in its fourth successful year of its partnership with Fraserburgh Academy, under the "Determined to Succeed" Scottish Government initiative. The partnership offers the academy's pupils a close link between education and the working world while identifying and nurturing new talent for the hospitality industry.
WHAT DID THEY DO?
The ESS team has contributed significantly to the school's home economics department, including workshops in school in a host of catering disciplines, a "restaurant experience" and a celebration dinner for 100 where students cooked and served a three-course meal. It also helped the school set up NVQ Levels 1 and 2 courses in professional cookery.
The initiative also played a significant part in acquiring a grant of £300,000 for the school as part of the Scottish Government's "Schools of Ambition" programme.
WHY DID THE JUDGES CHOOSE THEM?
Fin Coffey, Cadbury's out of home sales director, said: "This is a proven partnership between ESS and Fraserburgh Academy which clearly demonstrates the outstanding results that can be achieved when the industry takes a long term view."
HOW DO I FIND OUT MORE?
www.compass-group.co.uk
www.fraserburghacademy.co.uk
www.springboarduk.net
Springboard has produced an employers' guide to providing work experience, called Inspire. For more information contact Holly Rawlings on 020 7395 9484 or e‑mail http://hollyr@springboarduk.org.uk.