A CATERING company serving up food at the Galpharm Stadium in Huddersfield has scored with a link-up with the sporting venue and Kirklees College.

Lindley Venue Catering has launched an educational and training programme with the college and the stadium in a move set to benefit all three partners.

The initiative will provide students in the college’s catering, travel and tourism departments with the chance to become part of the Lindley Venue Catering team on match days, at conferences, banquets and other events at the stadium – both through work experience placements and paid temporary employment.

Lindley Venue Catering, part of The Lindley Group, also plans to work with the college to provide selected students with a personal development training programme leading to potential offers of full-time permanent jobs with the group UK-wide.

As part of the deal, the college will provide Lindley Venue Catering employees working at the stadium the opportunity to study for formal qualifications.

The college will also work with The Lindley Group to develop apprenticeship schemes.

Adam Woods, a commis chef at the stadium and James Birch, Lindley Venue Catering’s bar manager at the Huddersfield venue, will be among the first employees to benefit from the initiative. Adam will attend the college’s hospitality course while James has enrolled for NVQ Management Level 3 training.

Simon Pile, Lindley Venue Catering’s general manager at the stadium, outlined the new initiative to 120 students at the college. They were then invited to attend an open evening at the stadium.

Adam Elliott, chief executive of The Lindley Group, said: “We’re extremely proud to be part of this initiative which was initiated at the suggestion of Simon.

“Well-trained, enthusiastic and committed staff is the success by which the hospitality industry is measured and this reciprocal arrangement provides a perfect foundation for developing the industry’s future talent.

“As well as providing students with an opportunity to gain practical experience and try their hand at a variety of jobs in the different aspects of an hospitality environment at a very early stage in their career, it also gives our employees the chance to gain formal academic qualifications enabling them to fast-track their career prospects.

“From a commercial perspective, it provides Lindley Venue Catering and the stadium with a team of well-trained, regular, temporary staff while providing students with an extra source of income.”

Gareth Davies, managing director of Kirklees Stadium Development Ltd, said: “The Lindley Venue Catering project with Kirklees College is a perfect embodiment of our philosophy of opening up access to the facilities we have here and making the venue an integral part of the lives of local people.”

Peter McCann, principal at Kirklees College, said: “The facilities and sheer variety of events staged at the stadium provide tremendous scope for our students to get a working knowledge of the myriad of different operational aspects within the hospitality business.”

Lindley Venue Catering was awarded the five-year £10.3m contract to manage all aspects of catering services at the 51-acre stadium complex in July 2011.