Compass celebrates first anniversary of Xcelerate with Edgbaston
Food and services company, Compass Group UK & Ireland, has marked the first anniversary of its flagship regional community skills and learning hub, Xcelerate with Edgbaston - with a special event which hosted almost 100 people.
Launched in 2024, the one-million-pound training hub has now:
- Facilitated the training of 2,200 people.
- Hosted events including careers fairs, culinary and industry competitions and business team meetings.
- Enabled programmes, including Barista and Bar Excellence training.
- Seen partners such as HIT Training, Pathway Group, Lifetime Training, The Ladder Greater Birmingham, Release Potential, DWP, WMCA, Springboard, Innovate Awarding, DFN Project Search, Change Please and Work Pays, hold events.
- Last week, the venue also hosted a Careers Fair for two local schools.
The celebration event was hosted last week during National Apprenticeship Week 2025. Guests heard from HR and apprenticeship leads from Compass Group UK & Ireland, Warwickshire County Cricket, UKHospitality, Change Please and the Multicultural Apprenticeship Alliance. The event featured a series of inspiring talks, providing guests with opportunities to network and learn from industry experts. Poet, Casey Bailey, who was Birmingham poet laureate 2020/22 also recited a special poem he had written in honour of the anniversary.
Guests were treated to a delicious lunch, menu items included crispy guinea fowl roulade with pickled apple puree and lemon sauce; and roast cauliflower, parmesan polenta and salsa Verde, with some of the dishes created and cooked by the finalists of Compass’ annual Apprentice Chef of the Year 2024 competition. They were supported by the senior chefs participating in Compass Group UK & Ireland’s prestigious ‘Forward with Marcus Wareing’ programme.
Xcelerate with Edgbaston, located at the iconic Edgbaston Stadium, is operated by Levy UK, the events, sports and entertainment arm of Compass Group UK & Ireland, and supports the training and upskilling of Compass colleagues, the industry and the local community.The aim is to nurture and empower the next generation of hospitality professionals, as well as offering skills and knowledge to the local community.
Launched in partnership with Edgbaston, it aligns with Compass Group UK & Ireland’s dedication to creating learning and development opportunities, through its 'Our Social Promise' – a commitment to positively impact one million lives by 2030. Working with people from within and outside Compass, it aims to enhance people’s opportunities and change their lives through job creation, education, training, community and charitable engagement.
Jonathan Foot, Director of Skills and Early Careers, Compass Group UK & Ireland said: “We’re proud to celebrate the incredible success of Xcelerate in its inaugural year. This facility is truly contributing to our industry and the local community.
“Our objective is to offer everyone the opportunity to develop and progress, regardless of their background and qualifications, as part of our Mission to a Million promise. Xcelerate brings this to life and I look forward to seeing how this progresses throughout 2025 and the years ahead.”
David Sheen, Public Affairs Director at UKHospitality, said: “Compass’s Xcelerate initiative is truly inspiring and is delivering enormously for communities and local businesses.
“It demonstrates the truly transformational effect hospitality can have on people’s lives and how it can drive both social mobility and productivity through the diverse career opportunities it offers.”
Image (l-r) Julian Burnham, Change Please; Micaela Barlow, HIT Training; Jonathan Foot, Compass Group UK & Ireland; Casey Bailey; David Sheen, UKHospitality; Kirsty Adams, Compass Group UK & Ireland; Kundai Nazare, Compass Group UK & Ireland; Nick Bailey, MC; Olivia Campbell, Compass Group UK & Ireland; Jagdeep Soor and Safaraz Ali Apprenticeship & Skills Alliance.
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