The first young people to join the Amadeus Apprenticeship Programme, in partnership with Solihull College, have successfully completed the scheme and have been offered employment with the award winning caterer, part of the NEC Group.
It was one year ago, in July 2013, that Amadeus launched the programme and Solihull College students George Drabble, a former Prince’s Trust student at the College, and Jack Malkin were the first young people to enrol. On completion of an eight week pre-employment training programme they were then invited to interview and were successful in securing 12 months employment with Amadeus, during which time they completed an apprenticeship framework and gained a professional qualification. They have benefited hugely from the opportunity and will now pursue careers in the catering industry with Amadeus.
In December Jack was awarded the Apprentice of the Year Award at the NEC Group’s annual awards ceremony, and he has recently been shortlisted for the prestigious National Apprenticeship Awards. George voiced his opinions in a Guardian article on youth unemployment earlier this year and hopes to spread the word of the value of apprenticeships to his peers.
To date the programme has given 28 young people out of a pledged 100 the opportunity to launch a career in catering. As part of the scheme, the apprentices are given the opportunity to work across all of Amadeus’ home venues; the NEC, LG Arena, NIA and ICC, as well as at external venues and events such as the Scottish Open and the Library of Birmingham.
Apprentice of the Year winner Jack said: “Amadeus is a key brand within a big organisation so I knew this scheme would help me gain useful experience in an industry that I have always been interested in. The programme has given me a taster of lots of areas of hospitality and as a result I now know which area I want to progress in. I am really pleased to have been offered a permanent contract at Amadeus and look forward to developing my catering career further over the coming months and years. I am really grateful for the opportunity and would recommend the Apprenticeship Programme to anyone looking to gain experience in the industry”.
Amadeus Managing Director, Kevin Watson added: “??We are delighted that George and Jack have successfully completed the programme and will remain with us to continue to learn and grow. It has been incredible to witness their development; they have matured and gained many important skills that will prove hugely beneficial for their future careers in the hospitality industry. The NEC Group is one of the region’s largest employers and Amadeus provides catering services for some of the biggest live events in the country, we are pleased that in partnership with Solihull College we can give young people in the area the opportunity to gain invaluable experience whilst working towards a nationally recognised qualification”.
For more information about apprenticeships offered at Solihull College please visit www.solihull.ac.uk/apprenticeships
