Compass Group UK & Ireland has announced the launch of Xcelerate – its new regional community skills and learning hubs for training and excellence. These first in class training facilities will be provided in partnership with its clients, with the view to train thousands of people every year.

Xcelerate regional community skills and learning hubs will be equipped with cutting-edge technology allowing people to train with the latest innovations to provide customers and clients with great food and great service. Xcelerate provides training for every aspect of hospitality including culinary, facilities management, baristas, receptionists, event managers, hosts and bartenders.

The first centre and flagship site due to launch is at Edgbaston Stadium, Birmingham, in early 2024 – called “Xcelerate with Edgbaston”. The state-of-the-art facilities are going to be able to provide both front of house, back of house, facilities management and IT digital solutions training, providing essential skills for those looking to build careers in hospitality; as well as providing job opportunities at the stadium itself, working across Edgbaston’s range of customer and corporate hospitality spaces. In addition, Xcelerate with Edgbaston will also work with social impact partner organisations, providing local people with access to training, as well as offering cookery classes to budding home chefs.

These new regional community skills and learning hubs for training and excellence are being created following conversations with its own colleagues as well as external feedback, which concluded that moving to a regional model for training would have a greater impact than a single site. The sites not only enable Compass to support its people nearer to where they live and work, but also provides more opportunities in relation to outreach, where each site will support local community groups.

There are ongoing discussions, with clients across the UK, with the view to launching Xcelerate at new locations in the future. The training options will be scaled up and down dependent on the facilities created at each site.

Commenting on the launch of Xcelerate – Robin Mills, Chief Executive Officer, Compass Group UK & Ireland said: “We are delighted to be launching our new regional community centres for training and excellence. We believe the food and support services sector is a barrierless industry and are committed to providing opportunities for all. Access to training is critical to help people develop the skills they need to build fulfilling careers. By setting up centres in partnership with our clients around the country, we are going to be able to support many people both in our business, as well as the communities in which we work.”

Jonathan Foot, Head of Apprenticeships and Early Careers, Compass Group UK & Ireland followed up by saying: “It’s great to be launching Xcelerate. Our regional community skills and learning hubs will not only be providing training and development, but also promoting the opportunities that exist within the hospitality sector. I am really looking forward to our first site, Xcelerate with Edgbaston, going live in early 2024. The site is poised to make a significant impact in the local community, and we are really looking forward to sharing the details in the coming weeks.”