The food service industry is facing a talent crisis. According to UK Hospitality, the sector needs to create 66,000 new jobs by 2030 and 200,000 new apprenticeships by 2023. And you often hear senior chefs worrying about the lack of skilled candidates coming up through the ranks.

So are in-house academies the solution to this medium-and long-term challenge? Here we look at the impact they have on recruitment and retention within contract catering.

How in-house academies help contract caterers

• Control over talent coming through the business – This is because you can more easily embed your culture and working practices among staff, resulting in a talent pipeline aligned to how your teams operate. Therefore, contracts – and the business – can run more efficiently and profitably. 
  
• Stronger employer value proposition – Even with internal training, you’ll have to recruit. And structured learning and development opportunities make you more attractive to the best candidates. You’re in a doubly strong position to fill your skills gaps, because you have a pool of home-grown talent plus are an employer of choice for external hires in this competitive market. 
• Higher retention rates – Employees who have access to career development and progression plans are 15% more likely to stay in a company. And higher retention has several benefits, including a stronger brand, lower overall staff-related costs and more value added to contracts and the business.
• Flexibility over your offering – With in-house academies, it’s much easier to develop your workforce as client needs change. Seeing increased demand for plant-based food? Offer an in-house course on developing vibrant vegan menus. Have managers with great operational skills but who need help with performance management? Focus on HR skills. Once the infrastructure is in place, it becomes easier to tailor upskilling based on needs and trends.

How to maximise your return on training investment

Building an effective in-house academy takes time and resource. From sourcing facilitators to developing courses to funding time for staff to train – there are lots of moving parts. But there are steps that even small independent contract caterers can take to reap the benefits.

• Hire people worth investing in – After all, there’s no point investing in people who you can tell aren’t the right fit or who don’t have long-term potential. Do a dispassionate review of your hiring processes and implement a structured way of assessing candidates - there will be more information on this in our next post. 
• Promote a culture of innovation – This is common feedback from top candidates – they want to work for companies that provide creative outlets and implement ideas. For example, can the academy organise competitions? This doesn’t just have to be for chefs – managers can offer ideas for putting their own stamp on contracts and promoting sustainability. 
• Work with others in the industry – Academies don't have to be exclusive to deliver results. Partnerships with colleges and training providers help ease the operational burden. Mentorship programmes can give staff access to transferable skills. Industry associations are spearheading discussions on topics like wellness and sustainability, which you can integrate into your own programmes. The key is to use the wide range of resources available across food service to create development pathways that work for your business. That way, you get that ideal balance of best practice and your unique workplace culture.

Learn more about how development opportunities help you build a high-performing workforce

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