Cooking Up Career Goals

Twelve Walsall College Apprentices gathered at the College’s Wisemore Campus on Tuesday 19th October to receive certificates for their achievements so far on their course.

The students, who have been cooking up success in the kitchen, all work for a brand new training restaurant run by Aston Villa Football Club, VMF (Villa Midlands Food).

VMF is inspired by the varied cultures and cuisines that are found in Aston and its neighbouring areas, and local young people are at the heart of the project.

Aston Villa have partnered with Birmingham Apprenticeship Service and have 12 trainee hospitality students from within a 10 mile radius of Villa Park. The Apprentices will spend 2 years with Aston Villa Hospitality and Events, during this time they will be taking a Level 2 NVQ Diploma in Hospitality Services qualification, with Walsall College as the training provider.

The aim is to give experience and a quality work environment to young adults and to use unique and traditional recipes that reflect their relationships with local people, whilst sourcing 80% of the food from within a 40 mile radius of Villa Park.

Villa are also training staff to be mentors to help out the youngsters, as well as recruiting a restaurant manager and expert chef to run the restaurant.

Alison Plant, Head of Hospitality and Events at Aston Villa, said: “VMF is a truly unique scheme. It is a restaurant which is different from anything else and we are delighted to get this initiative up and running. VMF offers youngsters a career opportunity in the hospitality industry. Villa is renowned for outstanding hospitality and service levels and we are aiming to build on this success for generations to come.”