Hospitality Connect

Hotelier of the Year Adrian Ellis (2023) is the founder of Hospitality Connect Ltd, a partnership project model with a programme of events to promote the hospitality sector and improve awareness of careers within the industry to a young student audience.

Realising the need to change the perception of the industry during the Covid19 pandemic, Adrian wanted to partner likeminded hoteliers with schools to offer employer encounters and industry insights. This project was successfully rolled out with Manchester Hoteliers Association members and the support of GMCA Careers Hub, starting with 10 hotels partnered with schools in 2021 and rising to 30 partnerships by 2023. Each partnership delivers around six activities per year, taking place at the hotel venue and at school. The activities bring careers education to life with curriculum enhancement, employer encounters and group experiences of the workplace for the students involved – and also reaches their parents / carers and teachers with up-to-date industry information to improve perceptions.

This project is aimed at tackling ongoing recruitment challenges and positively changing the image of the sector. Additionally, Hospitality Connect encourages enhanced contact with local FE colleges for the schools and venues involved. Thus, enabling young students to have clear post 16 pathway insights for technical and vocational education – and for college aged students to also benefit from employer links with the venues involved in the regional initiatives.

The project attracted funding from the Savoy Educational Trust in summer 2023 and the successful Manchester project model is now being replicated across the UK with a volunteer ambassador programme to celebrate the social value and volunteering taking place.