Hospitality Staffing Solutions | Training Cafés UK

Hospitality Staffing Solutions: Training Cafés by Only A Pavement Away

Key Takeaways

• Only A Pavement Away is launching training cafés to support employment.

• The cafés provide on-the-job experience for people facing homelessness, prison leavers and veterans.

• The aim is to expand into ten UK cities and place 250 people into hospitality roles.

• Workers gain qualifications, life skills and permanent job opportunities.

• This model could be a long-term hospitality staffing solution for the industry.

Employment Training Cafés for Hospitality

Hospitality continues to face staff shortages, but a new initiative could offer part of the solution. Charity Only A Pavement Away is launching a series of employment training cafés, where people facing barriers to work can gain experience in hospitality.

These cafés will operate from unused sites provided by employer partners. They will be open to the public, run by trained managers, and staffed by Only A Pavement Away members gaining real work experience.

A Wider Hospitality Staffing Solution

The goal is to establish cafés in ten UK cities, helping the charity reach its target of placing 250 people into jobs in 2022.

Staff working in the cafés will:

• Earn a salary while training.

• Gain customer service experience.

• Work towards qualifications.

• Learn independent living skills.

The intention is for each person to progress into permanent roles with hospitality partners.

Greg Mangham, founder of Only A Pavement Away, described the initiative as “a truly exciting start to 2022”, providing valuable training while raising awareness of the charity’s work.

Building Skills and Independence

Since its launch in 2018, the charity has placed 170 individuals into work, adding £4 million to the economy. It also coordinated £1.6 million worth of donated food and drink to those in need during the pandemic.

This latest project highlights how hospitality staffing solutions can combine social responsibility with practical workforce support. By investing in people, the industry gains skilled and motivated recruits, while individuals benefit from careers that give them stability and purpose.

Could This Model Work Nationally?

The training café concept shows that recruitment can go beyond advertising and interviews. It offers a structured pathway into hospitality jobs for those who may otherwise be excluded. With the industry struggling to recruit, this approach could be scaled across the UK as part of a wider staffing solution.

FAQs

What is Only A Pavement Away?
It is a charity helping people facing homelessness, prison leavers and veterans into hospitality careers.

How do the training cafés work?
They provide real work experience, qualifications and pay, helping staff transition into permanent jobs.

Why is this relevant to staffing solutions?
It demonstrates how social projects can help fill skills gaps in hospitality while supporting communities.

How many people will benefit?
The target is to place 250 people into hospitality jobs in 2022 through the cafés.

Work with KSB Recruitment

While charities like Only A Pavement Away provide innovative staffing solutions, many businesses still need immediate recruitment support. At KSB Recruitment, we have been connecting employers with skilled chefs, catering staff and hospitality professionals for over 30 years.

If your business is struggling to recruit, or if you are looking for a new role in hospitality, we can help.

📍 Regus Park, Central Boulevard, Blythe Valley Park, Solihull, B90 8AG
📞 0121 828 9840
📧 [email protected]
🌐 Contact us here

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