Mayor and top Chef launch HosT scheme at the Hoxton Apprentice

The Mayor, Jules Pipe, and celebrated chef Anton Edelmann, joined employers, training organisations and apprentices at Hoxton’s award-winning restaurant, the Hoxton Apprentice, to launch HosT – a programme funded by Team Hackney which enables Hackney people without jobs to train for work in the growing hospitality industry.

Jules Pipe said: “Employers need people with new and different skills.  The jobs are there; the people are there, but they are not just going to come together naturally, and that’s why we need projects like HosT.  We want to make sure that, with all the opportunities opening up in Hackney, it is local people who are skilled up to take the new local jobs.”  

He praised the achievements of former apprentices who had already benefitted from training opportunities in the borough and who are now working with prestigious employers such as Raymond Blanc’s restaurant at the Emirates Stadium, and at establishments such as White’s club.  “They are great role models for other would-be apprentices,” he said.

Anton Edelmann said that his motive for being involved was: “out of necessity. I’ve worked in this industry for 40 years and I’ve always been crying out for staff.  It’s very important that we support this kind of idea.  I’m opening a new business tomorrow and I’m still looking for staff.  What we must all get right is to give people a future.”

Ian Ashman, principal of Hackney Community College, one of the lead partners in the consortium behind HosT, outlined “the staggering scale of vacancies that need to be filled by skilled people between now and the Olympics.  Where are these people going to come from?  It’s from places like Hackney which has an enormous pool of people with the potential to work in the industry.  We need to help people get the skills they need.”  He added: “There are 60,000 people in Hackney of working age who are not working”.

The 18-month training programme provides integrated and customised support into work for workless people in Hackney.  The consortium behind the programme also includes Training for Life, WALTZ and the Wine and Spirit Education Trust.

Leaflet will open in a new window:

HosT Leaflet (1.22MB)

14.12.2007