THE INDUSTRIES concerns about the sustainability of human resource and future talent are no secret and Aramark has brought the worlds of catering and hospitality to life for Chichester College students in an annual ‘Enterprise Day’.
The event saw a senior Aramark team deliver business insights, skills-share workshops, interactive sessions and quizzes to 185 students studying at the college for a range of qualifications from level 1 to Level 5 in Hospitality, Catering and Tourism. The aim was to boost students’ studies by providing on-the-ground insight into catering and hospitality to those aiming for a career in the sector.
The event was Aramark’s second Enterprise Day with the college, following on from the inaugural event in January 2014. Aramark has provided food service to Chichester College across two sites for the past eight years.
Structured around a workshop format, students were taken through sessions covering topics ranging from business leadership, employability and cost control, through to branding and marketing and corporate social responsibility.
Aramark also arranged for some of its key suppliers, including Peros, Mondelez, Seafood Holdings and Reynolds, to talk about their business and products, providing an alternative insight into food and the supply chain. For Tourism students, Aramark also arranged a careers talk from Carnival Cruises.
The event was led by Joanne Hooper, Client Relationship Manager at Aramark. She said: “Aramark has a strong focus on supporting community initiatives which improve the employability of our young people. The Enterprise Day aimed to give the student community at Chichester added edge to their studies and insights which should prove valuable when it comes to looking for a job.
“Aramark’s mission is to deliver experiences that enrich and nourish lives. Judging by the enthusiasm of students and their feedback, the Enterprise Day has really seen that mission in action.”
Julia Williams, Head of Learning for Services Industries at Chichester College, said: “The students and college staff were hugely impressed with the whole day, particularly the enterprise and employment sessions delivered by the Aramark team which focused on preparing students for employment.
“For the second year running the team from Aramark put on a superbly well organised, exciting and innovative event which was greatly enjoyed by all. This opportunity for students to work with external employers and for them to gather information on industry trends is so very valuable to their futures in employment.”
Chichester College is an Ofsted ‘Outstanding’ further education college, with exam results which place it in the top 10 colleges in the country. Its 16,000 full and part-time students are based across two campuses, in Chichester and Billingshurst, West Sussex.
