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Choose Hospitality Pledge, an initiative driven by Nestlé Professional, Choose Hospitality and Springboard, has announced its 2025 student outreach initiatives, designed to inspire young people across the UK to consider careers in hospitality. 

The campaign features a series of events that will take place this October. The first is a City Takeover in York, with city-wide activity planned from 14 – 23 October, with an additional event in partnership with Sodexo, to take place in Brighton on 22 October.

Each event will bring together hospitality professionals, educators and students to challenge misconceptions about careers in hospitality and highlight the skills, opportunities and career progression the sector can offer.

The York City Takeover will involve ambassadors from across the industry, including Whitbread, BaxterStorey and Tom Brassington and Katie Blundell, winners of the 2025 Nestlé Professional Toque d’Or. Over the course of two weeks, they will deliver interactive workshops in eight schools, reaching approximately 1,000 Year 8 students.

In Brighton, Sodexo will first host a panel session to introduce students to the Choose Hospitality Pledge. The panel will be moderated by Antonia Macfarlane, Business Development Manager at Pol Roger Portfolio, and will include James Candy, Customer Manager at Nestlé Professional; Serin Rahme Hassan, Toque d’Or finalist and Green Spatula winner; Bryan Grierson, Operations Director at Springboard; and Steven Edwards, Chef Restaurateur at Etch. The discussion will be followed by interactive activities designed to give students hands-on experience of key skills such as teamwork, communication and resilience.

Commenting the Choose Hospitality Pledge series of autumn events, Julia Jones, Head of Corporate Communications and Sustainability, Nestlé Professional, said: “Our industry has a responsibility to show young people the breadth of careers available in hospitality and the opportunities it provides for growth, creativity and progression. The campaign is about breaking down outdated perceptions and inspiring students to see hospitality as a vibrant, rewarding career path.”

How to become a Choose Hospitality Pledge ambassador

Simply register your details via Springboard CareerScope. There you will will find future opportunities to support local schools in hospiality-related activities.