Employability and Skills Group Scores Hospitality Award Success with Sunderland AFC

Sheffield, United Kingdom, February 13, 2010 --(PR.com)-- Sunderland AFC and esg scored their first success of the season winning the Training Award at the annual Sunderland Echo Portfolio Business Awards 2009, held at the Stadium of Light. The two organisations masterminded the club’s unique – and now award winning - Hospitality Academy, which helps existing staff improve their skills to deliver a first class hospitality service to the club’s guests.

Adrian Holmes, Group Chief Executive Officer, esg, adds: “The judges were clear that what we have created is setting the standards for others to follow in corporate hospitality. They rightly described our training programmes as ‘… innovative, often groundbreaking and copied by other similar organisations around the country.’ We are showing how learning providers are responding to employer needs and delivering skills in the workplace that are tailored to the requirements of individual businesses.”

Tracy Lesca, Internal Verifier, Hospitality, esg, who has been a key player in getting the Hospitality Academy off the ground says: “It is a remarkable achievement for esg and also for SAFC. We have all worked extremely hard and the partnership between the two organisations continues to go from strength to strength.”

Naill Quinn, Chairman, SAFC says: "I feel as happy as I have ever felt tonight, I am just thrilled that people took up the challenge as much on the non-playing side as they have on the playing side.”

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