For years, hospitality barely featured in school corridors. Career boards were stuffed with law, medicine, tech… but the industry that employs well over 2.7–2.8 million people in the UK barely got a mention.
The Hospitality Connect Program is changing this. The idea is that schools and venues link up and they take students into those venues to educate and inspire them on the world of hospitality.
Let’s be honest: perception has been a killer. Multiple UK surveys showed only around 1 in 10 young people said they’d choose hospitality as a career, citing low pay perceptions, not knowing the roles, or thinking it’s all antisocial hours. You can’t fix that with a brochure. You fix it by opening the door, showing the ladder, and letting them try it.
Hospitality Connect pairs schools with local hotels and venues and sets up structured in-venue days. It’s practical, risk-aware, and built to make visits useful for both the school and the operator. We (Hospitality Hero) act as ambassadors across Cheshire and Liverpool, making matches, setting expectations, and keeping visits tight and meaningful.
The sector still struggles to attract young people into long-term roles, despite being one of the UK’s biggest employers. Bringing students in does three things: builds your talent pipeline, lifts your team (they love showing what they do), and gives you credible community impact you can actually evidence. Our job is to show students this industry is fun, respected, rewarding, and a route to real success
Why should schools care? Because for a huge chunk of students, hospitality will be their first paid job, after school, weekends, or at uni.
A day at the venue doesn’t just tick “careers.” It hits maths, English, food tech, IT and design and the stuff employers actually hire for: punctuality, communication, teamwork, problem-solving, confidence with customers, basic hygiene, handling money, and turning up ready for a shift.
It turns “hospitality” from a vague idea into real, named jobs with real progression, and gets students genuinely work-ready.
Here’s how we at The Chester Townhouse host these days. We mostly work with SEN schools so naturally we take things a bit slower and as calm as possible. Students start in our restaurant and set up for breakfast, learning what order cutlery goes in, the importance of standards and so on, then they head to housekeeping, learning how to make a bed to hotel standards, the importance of making guests feel special with little touches like birthday cards. They do some work in the kitchen and bar like making salads and mocktail. All fun activities that give them a taste of multiple departments. Our staff try really hard to make as much of an impression on the kids as possible. Sharing fun stories, asking silly questions etc. With the whole aim to have them wanting to come back.
Why this matters right now
Hospitality is a youth-powered industry at entry level. When young people actually step inside a venue and try the work, interest rises fast. There’s this myth that this new generation believe, a side hustle in stocks or crypto beats any “real job.” Maybe it pays sometimes. But it won’t teach you to read a room, handle pressure, talk to customers, or work with people twice your age. Hospitality does. It builds confidence, communication, teamwork, and resilience, the stuff every employer values and life keeps demanding. If we want a capable next generation, we need more young people on site, not just online.
If you want to get involve, contact [email protected]. We’ll match your venue with a school, make the introductions, then we will leave it to you guys to sort your date and activities.
This is how we move from “hospitality doesn’t pay well” to “hospitality is a credible, skilled, upward path.” Students need to see the real thing. Operators need to meet their future teams early. Everybody wins.
