news

“Buddy Day” is a recipe for success

01 Nov 2010

An innovative tourism-boosting initiative, organised by Glasgow Service with Style, has been hailed a huge success. The Buddy Day project welcomed students, career-changers and the unemployed to train for a day in Glasgow’s top tourism and hospitality businesses.

On September 29, 20 applicants sampled a range of jobs, all of which gave them the chance to find out more about the skills and attributes required to work in Glasgow’s visitor attractions, hotels and restaurants.

One student who took part in Buddy Day was Daniel Fagan. He spent the day with top chef Brian Maule at his Glasgow restaurant Le Chardon d’Or.

Daniel, who is a HNC Professional Cookery Student at City of Glasgow College, found the experience to be highly valuable. He watched, shadowed and assisted Brian during the course of a day of work in his highly acclaimed French restaurant.

For Daniel, this “day in the life of” a world-class chef provided an invaluable insight into the challenges, demands and rewards that come with working in a high quality and busy kitchen.

The Glasgow-based Buddy Days are aimed at offering prospective employees in the industry an insight into their future vocation. The aim is to motivate and excite the people who will soon be part of Glasgow’s vibrant tourism sector.

Venues that took part in the recent Buddy Day included ETAP, Thistle Hotels, Ramada Hotels, Glasgow Airport Holiday Inn, Malmaison, Hotel Du Vin, Willow Tearooms, Glasgow School of Art, Scotland Street School Museum, Chardon d’Or, VisitScotland Information Centre, Radisson blu, Aramark and Glasgow Restaurateurs’ Association.

Graeme Gibson, chair of Glasgow Service with Style and General Manager of the Radisson blu hotel, said: “By taking part in Buddy Days and other such initiatives Glasgow businesses can reap the rewards of investing in their people.

“Motivated, happy and well-trained staff are at the very heart of all successful businesses and this is key to improving standards across the tourism industry.” 

Buddy Day is just one of a number of activities organised by Glasgow Service with Style, as part of a city-wide initiative that aims to raise service standards and grow tourism to the city by 60% by 2016.  Buddy Day was offered in partnership with Springboard Scotland, and funded by Skills Development Scotland.

There will be another chance to take part in this unique project in the Spring. Further details will be featured here on our Glasgow Service with Style website.