Sodexo’s SVQ partnership wins FM accolade

Sodexo, a leading provider of on-site service solutions, has won the PFM award for Partners in Service to the Community for its partnership with Langside College in Glasgow for the delivery of the SVQ Level 1 Hospitality programme and its impact on the local community and the hospitality industry.

Sodexo is the lead partner for the College’s SVQ Level 1 Hospitality programme which has been developed in response to the employment needs identified by the College’s partners and through dialogue with head teachers of Additional Support for Learning (ASL) Schools in the area. The programme has been designed to meet students’ particular needs and to provide and improve employment prospects for students. It is the only course of its type in Glasgow and is seen as the ‘jewel in the crown’ training course by local ASL schools. This is evidenced by the course’s long waiting list.

John Rafferty, director of care, health and wellbeing at Langside College said: “This award is so richly deserved. Sodexo has enriched our course delivery in more ways than we could have imagined. This has enabled Langside College to offer genuine vocational opportunities to some of our most vulnerable learners and so help us meet our community remit. From the close involvement of the site manager on our course team, to the industry experts they provide as guest lecturers and by supporting our end of year prize giving with the attendance of their top personnel, they really have gone beyond any ordinary fm partnership.”

The aim of the programme is to have over 20 vocationally trained, employable, confident and well rounded individuals graduate from the SVQ every year. Sodexo has a presence on the course committee as well as providing valuable (70 hour) work placements in the College refectory. The College is the co-delivery partner for the programme, providing customised facilities.

Graham Box, Sodexo’s managing director for Scotland said: “We are thrilled that our partnership at Langside College has been recognised with this award. As part of our sustainability strategy, known as the Better Tomorrow Plan, we have a commitment to supporting the local communities in which we operate and in Glasgow alone we have a number of clients. This partnership with Langside College demonstrates this commitment through the provision of a valuable qualification and through the link with ASL schools, the SVQ programme offers youngsters in the area with the opportunity to gain a qualification which will provide them with the skills needed to help them find employment and therefore improve their lives considerably.”