Member Article

NE1 launches course to tackle skills shortages in Newcastle restaurant industry

Following the popularity of NE1’s Newcastle Restaurant Week, the Business Improvement District company is launching a fast track restaurant training programme.

With 45 new restaurants opening over the last five years n Newcastle, and another 26 new venues planned to open in Newcastle city centre alone in the next 12 months, skills shortages has become an increasing problem in the industry.

With staffing concerns growing, NE1 has teamed up with Fat Buddha, Babucho, 21 Group and Newcastle College’s Lifestyle Academy to create a chef’s fast-track training course.

The Traineeship programme will initially cater for fourteen 16 – 24 years olds on an eight-week intensive on-the-job training course that, after successful completion, will provide an NVQ Level 1 qualification in Hospitality and is expected to lead directly into either a job, or an Apprenticeship for participants.

The course is being run by Newcastle College but will be mostly work-based, to ensure that candidates get a real taste for a career in the industry.

The Traineeship will launch on 8 February - the hope is that if successful, the course will be repeated with an expanded intake of trainees and the involvement of more restaurants.

After 8 weeks, the training will culminate with a showcase three-course dinner prepared by the newly trained chefs, with each restaurant and their respective trainees preparing a course to be served to an invited audience of VIP and celebrity guests at the Chef’s Academy restaurant at Newcastle College.

Stephen Patterson Director of Communications at NE1 Ltd explained: “The restaurant industry has been the number one growth sector in Newcastle over the past five years, helped by NE1’s Alive after Five and Restaurant Week initiatives that have boosted visitor numbers into the city and its restaurants in the early evening. This has led to an explosion in restaurant numbers and a demand for even greater numbers of staff.

“The growth in the restaurant industry in Newcastle is great news for the city, but staffing these new venues with good quality staff can be difficult. We want to offer our help to generate interest and enthusiasm in a career in hospitality and catering and create opportunities for young people to work directly with some of the city’s leading restaurants.

Bob Senior, Owner and MD of Fat Buddha restaurant said: “We pride ourselves on our staff and we invest heavily in attracting and retaining the best – but it is becoming increasingly difficult to attract young people into the industry.

“We wanted to run an on-the-job taster course that gives young people the chance to experience first hand what it is like to work in a fast-paced restaurant environment and hope that it will encourage them and others to consider a rewarding career in the industry.”

Susan Davis, Operations Manager, Newcastle College Lifestyle Academy, said: “We are looking forward to working with the restaurants and NE1 on the fast-track training course and we will continue to support the successful recruits with their on-going training needs when they secure jobs, or apprenticeships in the future.”

Prospective course participants are invited to attend a launch event at Fat Buddha restaurant on Tuesday 26th January at 5pm to meet the restaurant and college staff and find out more details.

Further information, including how to apply, is available from Andy Brown, Newcastle College Hospitality Section Manager

Looking to promote your product/service to SME businesses in your region? Find out how Bdaily can help →