Sodexo Live! and Nestlé Professional to host exclusive Choose Hospitality Pledge stadia career workshops

Sodexo Live! has today announced a new partnership with the Choose Hospitality Pledge, and its co-founder Nestlé Professional, which will see them host three mass career workshops at Newcastle United’s St. James’ Park, Brighton & Hove Albion FC’s American Express Stadium and Everton FC’s Goodison Park.

The Choose Hospitality Pledge workshops will take place during the summer term, engaging up to 200 secondary school pupils across each of the three stadia locations.

The Choose Hospitality Pledge was created to give school leavers the opportunity to experience how dynamic, rewarding and exciting the sector is as a career. It aims to reshape perceptions of the hospitality sector and ignite a passion for careers among young people, ensuring the industry has a stronger talent pipeline and is well-positioned to plug its talent gap, which is expected to reach 14 million over the next few years.

Each workshop will offer school pupils the unique chance to hear first-hand from inspiring hospitality leaders and to participate in hands-on hospitality skills taster sessions. Pupils will also gain valuable career advice from prominent industry organisations on routes into the sector, from specialist college courses and apprenticeship programmes, to direct employment.

Commenting on the new the partnership, Katya Simmons, MD, Nestlé Professional, said: “The Choose Hospitality Pledge was formed to bring the industry together to improve the perception of hospitality careers, and to tackle the recruitment crisis head on.

“We’re proud to partner with Sodexo Live! to host exclusive career workshops inside incredible stadiums across the country, educating secondary school pupils about the industry’s wide range of entry-level roles and training opportunities, the breadth of roles available – dispelling the ‘only chef or waiter’ myth – as well as the many career pathways on offer. 

“Our partnership is a prime example of how the Choose Hospitality Pledge is galvanising hospitality businesses to unite and collaborate on youth employment, one of the most pressing issues we face as an industry.”

Alexis Kennedy, HR Director, Sodexo Live! UK & Ireland said: “We are proud to support the Choose Hospitality Pledge alongside Nestlé Professional. Our teams at the three stadia are looking forward to sharing their experience of working in this exciting and dynamic industry with the school children. We hope through the workshops we can inspire a future generation of chefs with a behind the scenes look at what a culinary career could offer them and how they can make a difference by creating memorable food experiences.”

The workshops align with Provider Access Legislation (PAL) and Gatsby Benchmark 5, offering pupils the chance to have meaningful interactions with employers.