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THIRD YEAR FOR EMPLOYABILITY PROGRAMME
Magners Irish Cider, Celtic FC Foundation and the Tennent's Training Academy have announced the successful Magners Employability Programme will this year focus on chefs looking to get a foot in the kitchen door in 2017.
The project aims to help unemployed people get back into work and returns for its third year after Celtic sponsors, Magners, raised £19,670 for the Celtic FC Foundation, by donating £10 from the first 1,967 of a limited edition Magners Lisbon Lions pack launched to mark the 50th anniversary of Celtic's historic 1967 European Cup win.
This year, the project is targeted at people who have a passion for cooking and hospitality, as it will see 12 successful applicants undergo training at the state of the art Tennent's Training Academy from Thursday 14 September until Friday 17 November. Any cooks in the making interested in applying to take part should visit magners.co.uk/celticfoundation.
Applicants can also attend a Recruitment Open Day at the Shettleston Job Centre on Tuesday 5th September from 10 am to 12 pm, with interviews being held at Celtic Park on Thursday 7th September.
The Magners Employability programme has helped 24 participants gain employment or move into further education since it began in 2015. This year, the project is targeted at people who have a passion for cooking and hospitality, helping tackle a long-standing skills shortage in Scotland. During the 10-week programme, participants will develop their culinary skills before leaving the course, ready to start work as trainee Commis Chefs in the industry.
To further help graduates in their new cooking careers, some of the biggest businesses in hospitality, including DiMaggioS Group, G1 Group, Lynette Leisure, Jury's Hotel and Holiday Inn, to name a few, have pledged their support, committing to taking on graduates at the end of the programme to work in their kitchens.
Delivered by Celtic FC Foundation and the award-winning Tennent's Training Academy, the Magners Employability Programme prepares participants for life after the project, encouraging them to engage with a varied mix of work experience, certified industry training along with recruitment days, motivational speakers, and sessions covering; skills, qualities, job searching, CVs, application forms, interview techniques and work ethic.
The aim of the project is to enable participants to use their new-found skills and experience to secure employment, voluntary work or further training.
David Kelly, Graduate of the Magners Employability Programme 2016 and now a trainee chef with the Tennent's Training Academy said: "I joined the Magners Employability Programme in 2016 after being unemployed for two years. I'd previously worked in a dead-end job with no real career prospects when my Job Centre careers advisor recommended the programme to me and I've never looked back. Thanks to the experience of the programme I've got myself a full-time job in the hospitality industry and I'm continuing to learn and develop my culinary skills. I'm creating a future for myself and my family. My advice to anyone thinking of applying for the programme would be to go for it, it can change your life in more ways than one.'
George Kyle, Head of Sponsorship for Magners, said: "Since we launched the Magners Employability Programme, we've helped dozens of people get back into work and give them the confidence and skills to further themselves professionally and personally. It's people like David who make the programme worthwhile and are the reason for launching the Employability Programme in 2015. To see the impact that it's making on people's lives is hugely rewarding. David's story is one of the many success stories we hear at the end of the programme. We know that the hospitality industry is crying out for chefs but it can be difficult for people with little training to get a job. This is why it made perfect sense to focus on culinary training to help work towards solving two very real problems. I look forward to meeting the participants on the programme this year."
Tony Hamilton, Chief Executive at Celtic FC Foundation, added: "Celtic FC Foundation wants to help people into employment and find a longer-term solution. It's not about 'quick wins' for us and we are delighted with the opportunity to work alongside Magners once more and deliver this project, which hopefully will allow more people to find sustainable employment. Magners share our values and we are always on the look-out for partners like them who want to do the right thing in our communities."
Craig Redburn, Deputy Hotel Manager at Hallmark Hotels, said: "It can be hard to gain the experience and confidence needed for chef roles, but Hallmark Hotels always eager to help passionate cooks develop in the kitchen. This is why we're more than happy to fully support the Magners Employability Programme this year and offer kitchen roles to graduates. We look forward to helping graduates move on to the next stage of their chef careers."
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