Hospitality business Compass Group UK & Ireland has partnered with charity Street League to create learning and job opportunities for unemployed youngsters.

Street League uses the power of sport to tackle poverty, supporting disadvantaged people aged 14-30 to develop skills to prepare them for the world of work.

The charity, which operates across the UK, launched the partnership in the Compass Scotland business with the Scottish Event Campus (SEC), securing training and roles for 10 candidates. 

The scheme will be rolled out across Compass‘s wider UK business – developing a 10-12-week programme to teach functional skills, such as maths and English, building a CV, and social mobility skills to help secure work roles.

Street League is also working with Compass’s Social Partner Hub to support those who face barriers to entering the job market. The Hub has so far secured employment for 140 people and another 800 have been helped with job interview guidance.

The Compass Group Foundation has also donated £30,000 to support Street League’s programme in Renfrewshire, West Scotland. This partnership, which began in April, runs until 31 March 2025, helping about 70 jobless young people. They will take part in daily sports activities to improve their mental and physical wellbeing, and attend workshops on life skills such as digital safety, money management, CV writing, mental health awareness, and communication. Those taking part will get the chance to earn a Level 4 customer service qualification.

Jonathan Foot, director of Skills and Early Careers at Compass, said: “These partnerships are crucial to our industry, to attract talented people that can learn and develop in a role.”

Julie Chalmers, Street League’s employment and partnerships manager, added: “This is a great opportunity to nurture and develop some of the young people we work with, to support them into the hospitality industry.”