With tourism and hospitality destined for continued growth in the UK, never has it been more important to ensure that people coming into the industry are fully trained and truly motivated.

As Caterer invites nominations for the 2006 Acorn Awards - which celebrate the talent of 30 high achievers aged under 30 - four former Acorn winners reveal their commitment to the training and motivation process.

John Campbell, Mark Emmerson, James Horler and John Philipson, all highly successful in their respective sectors of the industry, are to offer four Caterer readers bespoke placements in their place of work.

Here we profile the four men and ask them how they have been inspired in their work and why training is so important today.

Mark Emmerson
Operations and business development manager, Absolute Taste, McLaren Technology Centre, Woking, Surrey
Age: 33
Acorn winner 2000

In 1992, after spending four years at Highbury College, Portsmouth, studying for a BTEC National Diploma and a BTEC Higher National Diploma, Mark Emmerson joined the City of London Club as a trainee manager. Five years later he moved to the Hurlingham Club as deputy banqueting manager. Promotion followed several times and by the time he was announced as an Acorn Award winner, he was deputy general catering manager.

Emmerson moved to the newly renovated Royal Opera House in 2000, and soon after completed a diploma in management studies at Kingston University.

In 2003 Emmerson arrived at Absolute Taste, which is part of the McLaren Group. His day-to-day role involves overseeing the catering for about 1,000 employees, as well as the hospitality food provision, at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, where the Team McLaren Mercedes Formula One cars and Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren are developed and manufactured.

As business development manager, he is also involved with the opening of new outlets where Absolute Taste will provide the catering, including the Design Café, which will be opening in December at the Chelsea Harbour Design Centre, and a café concept at the new terminal building at the TAG Farnborough business airport, due for completion in January 2006.

How did you feel on winning the Acorn award?
I was extremely honoured to receive the award and felt it was recognition of all the hard work I had put into my career. The award is highlighted on my CV and it is certainly something that I see as adding value and worth to any potential employer.

What inspires you?
Working for Absolute Taste as part of the McLaren Group and working in this phenomenal facility is hugely inspirational. The company is constantly looking at new ways of doing things. Its standards of cleanliness and attention to detail are outstanding. I have been greatly motivated by being part of this culture and will always take that ethos with me wherever I go in the future.

What are your thoughts on training?
Many people don't see training as a business aim, but you have to invest in people in order to get the best out of them, which will ultimately benefit the company as a whole. At Absolute Taste we do a lot of on-the-job training, with job rotations where possible. In the kitchen we give everyone the opportunity to work on different sections. We also provide opportunities for staff to learn about doing their job in a different environment by delivering hospitality to VIP guests on the Grand Prix circuit around the world.

What are your ambitions?
I'm very happy where I am, particularly with Absolute Taste's plans to grow - I want to grow with it. Ultimately I'm very motivated and I want to progress and keep moving forward in this industry.

What is your advice to young people coming into the industry?
I would tell them that they need passion for their job and the industry in order to go far. They need to be motivated and have a goal to aim for.

John Campbell
Executive head chef, the Vineyard at Stockcross, near Newbury, Berkshire
Age: 36
Acorn winner 1998

Born in Liverpool, John Campbell entered the industry as a 15-year-old apprentice at Forte's Haydock Posthouse in Merseyside. After three years' training, he was granted a scholarship as a graduate chef with Forte, taking him on work stints around the world.

Campbell then worked in London as senior sous chef at the Grosvenor House hotel before taking on his first head chef position in 1995 at the BBC's residential training centre, Wood Norton Hall in Evesham, Worcestershire.

In 1997 he moved to Lords of the Manor in Upper Slaughter, Gloucestershire, where he retained the hotel's Michelin star. Five years later he took on his current position at the Vineyard, where he has also retained a Michelin star and made his mark with a scientific approach combining modern and traditional techniques.

Campbell is one of only a select handful of British chefs to achieve a BSc diploma in international culinary arts.

How did you react to winning an Acorn?
It was overwhelming to be judged alongside 29 of my peers as being one of the future leaders of the industry.

What inspires you?
Watching young chefs come into the kitchen and, as a result of proper, ethical training, seeing them mature in their attitude and skills. Having 17 young people working alongside me is like an extended family. Seeing them develop means more to me than any media coverage or accolades.

How important is training?
It is of the greatest importance. Here at the Vineyard, our academy offers training in a number of different ways. We take novices and give them a vocation; youngsters with NVQ levels 1 and 2 work with us to achieve NVQ level 3; stagiaires come to us for 2-3 months; and we work with companies that want tailor-made training.

What are your ambitions?
I want to help the industry change the way it works and become more professional and less driven by egotism, stars and accolades. I want to see young people being taught to cook properly, as well as being given a greater understanding of management and diplomacy.

What is your advice to young people coming into the industry?
I first tell them that the greatest rewards come from finding a vocation that they love and, if that is working as a chef, then that is fantastic. I tell them to listen and respect their peers and superiors and that if they remain focused, they will go all the way to the top. I tell them to be patient and not expect to achieve a Michelin star by the time they are 23. I tell them to enjoy food - only then will the accolades come.

James Horler
Chief executive, La Tasca Group
Age: 40
Acorn winner 1994

James Horler began his career at the age of 16 as a kitchen porter and then waiter for Trusthouse Forte. He progressed to conference and banqueting manager and food and beverage manager before transferring to the group's roadside business. Here, he quickly rose from unit manager to become Little Chef's youngest regional director at the age of 24.

Horler moved to Granada to oversee nine motorway service areas and in 1996 became managing director of City Centre Restaurants (now the Restaurant Group), where he expanded its Frankie & Benny's brand from five to 65 outlets over five years.

In 2001 Horler led a management buyout of La Tasca Spanish tapas restaurants for £28.2m. Earlier this year the group was floated on the Alternative Investment Market.

Today the group has 53 La Tascas (including two in the USA) and three Spanish restaurants called La Vina, which are aimed at a more sophisticated clientele. With 12 new restaurants opening each year, Horler plans to expand to 150 restaurants.

As well as winning an Acorn Award, Horler went on to be awarded the Group Restaurateur of the Year Catey in 2004.

What was your reaction to winning the Acorn award?
It was the first industry accolade that I achieved and it was enormously inspiring. It undoubtedly raised my profile in the industry.

What inspires you?
I have been greatly inspired by John Barnes (former managing director of Harry Ramsden's and now non-executive chairman of La Tasca). I also love to see the way people grow and develop in this industry. The people culture is what makes a restaurant a success - it is not just about sales and profits.

What are your views about training?
Currently the amount of household income spent on food service is 35% and we would like to see it reach 50% by 2020. We will achieve this by introducing innovations in terms of content and by offering more choice for consumers, alongside better food and service - all of which will be achieved only by employing well-remunerated and well-trained staff. Training is therefore a prerequisite in growing the market.

What about the future?
I intend to continue to grow La Tasca and La Vina by thinking big and acting small, by which I mean that while we are looking to open many restaurants, at the same time we are always focusing on individual restaurants and people. That is why, apart from an accounting office in the North-west, we don't have a big corporate office.

What is your advice to young people coming into the industry?
Again, the best advice I can give is think big, act small. In order for young people to move on in their career so that they can expand and take on more responsibilities, they need to ensure that they and the people around them matter, which means being well trained and inducted. Also, concentrate on getting the details right.

John Philipson
General manager, the Lowry hotel, Manchester
Age: 37
Acorn winner 1998

After studying for a BTEC in hospitality in Newcastle, John Philipson (pictured right) started his hotel career in 1990 with the Hyatt Corporation. He first went to Grand Cayman as assistant manager at the company's 280-bedroom Hyatt Regency Beach Suites, before moving on to the USA and the 2,300-bedroom Hyatt Regency in Chicago. He then moved to London as brasserie manager of the Hyatt Lowndes, before becoming assistant food and beverage manager at the Hyatt Carlton Tower.

In 1995 Philipson joined the Grosvenor House hotel, where he was deputy food and beverage manager, before moving on to join Rocco Forte Hotels in 1997 at the Balmoral hotel in Edinburgh as director of food and beverage. He then moved to the company's St David's Hotel & Spa in Cardiff to take up his first post as general manager in 1999.

Two years later Philipson moved to his current position as general manager of the 165-bedroom Lowry hotel.

Philipson's qualifications include a BSc in hospitality administration, achieved in 1992, and an MSc in hospitality management in 2003.

What were your thoughts on winning an Acorn?
I was extremely humbled, while at the same time enormously excited. It is a rare award, and it was fantastic to be recognised as a rising talent.

What inspires you?
I always travelled a lot with my parents when I was younger, and I thought that working in hotels would provide me with the opportunity to travel the world - and I was lucky enough to start my working life abroad. Working in hotels is dynamic and fun. I enjoy the challenge of fixing things on a daily basis.

Is training important?
It is vital to this industry. In the past, hotels have had a bad reputation, but they have now begun to shed that image. We have got to encourage staff to strive for perfection and that can only come through training and mentoring. We need to show employees what clients expect and improve on expectation at all times. At Rocco Forte Hotels most of our training takes place on the floor, minute by minute, day by day. We also run courses on specific subjects.

What does the future hold for you?
I want to continue to work and expand with Rocco Forte Hotels as the company grows and, hopefully, move on to bigger and more challenging hotels. I want to keep up with trends and even create new ones.

How do you encourage young people to join the industry?
I tell them that they first need to work out whether they want to learn about the industry through college or by going directly into hotels. Both options are good, but whichever they chose, I would encourage them to understand the theory first and then go on to work in as many different departments as they can until they find the one that suits their skills best.

Your chance to win unique work placements

You've seen the profiles - now how do you fancy working alongside John Campbell, Mark Emmerson, James Horler or John Philipson? If you would like to be considered for their work placements, simply send in your CV or a summary of your career, together with 20 words explaining why you should be picked. Please state clearly which placement you would like to be considered for and get your employer's permission before entering. You will be required to take time off to attend your placement. The date of the placements will be arranged between the winner and mentor. You don't have to be an Acorn award winner or be applying for the 2006 awards to be considered. Deadline for entries is Friday 18 November. Please e-mail your applications to catererfeatures@rbi.co.uk with "Work placement reader offer" as the subject. Good luck.