Dishy career advice for Williamwood pupils

Pupils from Williamwood High School sampled a taste of a career in the food and drinks industry as part of an event designed to attract school-leavers to jobs in hospitality.
By Nuala Naughton
Published 4th Aug 2015, 12:05 BST

At the recent Hospitality Springboard event at City of Glasgow College, pupils from the Clarkston school were taught in the art of mocktail-making, barista skills, and using maths in the industry.

They were tasked with creating an Easter table arrangement and responding to a quiz based on the skills they had learned.

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Springboard UK launched the programme to encourage school pupils to consider a career as front-of-house in the hospitality industry to help address a need for 660,200 employees to enter the profession between now and 2020. The programme was a hit with pupils, whose teacher Hillary McKelvie, of the school’s food, textiles and technology department, felt the trip to City of Glasgow College proved inspirational.

“Pupils from Williamwood said the event had been well worth attending,” said Ms McKelvie. “Our group found it informative and really learned a lot. They enjoyed the challenge of marrying the maths side with everything else involved in hospitality, such as the mocktail-making and learning barista skills. It’s given them something else to consider as a career.”

City of Glasgow College graduate Vanessa Daley, 30, from Dennistoun, was among the industry experts on hand to offer advice and guidance to the school pupils. She said: ““I really support initiatives like this, as kids think the only option in hospitality and catering is to become a chef. I wish, when I was at school, that I’d had more knowledge of the options available.

“The best thing about this industry is that it feels like one big family. There are so many options and opportunities to grasp.”

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Anne Piece, Chief Executive of Springboard UK, said: “This type of event is designed to promote the opportunities available in the hospitality and tourism industries and to bring alive those industries in the classroom. The biggest influences on pupils’ perception of those industries are through experiential learning.

“We had a tremendous reaction from everyone at City of Glasgow College, as well as the teachers and pupils from participating schools. Now, it’s about developing more modules and encouraging teachers to take what they have experienced here into the classrooms.”

More information on the programme can be found at http://www.hospitalityguild.co.uk/About-the-Guild/Partners/Springboard-UK