Hilton foundations back 12 UK groups with nearly £900,000

By Rebecca Stone

Nearly £900,000 in grants from the Hilton Global Foundation and Hilton UK Foundation will support 12 UK charities and organizations helping young people build skills and enter work.

The Hilton Global Foundation, Hilton’s global philanthropic arm, supports Felix, the UK’s leading food rescue charity and a long-standing Hilton partner, through its Commis Chef Apprenticeship Programme.

Apprentices work toward recognized qualifications and practical hospitality experience. Last week, apprentices put that training into practice at Hilton London Canary Wharf. Hilton says the Global Foundation also supports organizations worldwide focused on career opportunity, community resilience and making the world better to travel.

How much funding goes where?

Through its fundraising, the independent UK charity Hilton UK Foundation has awarded £600,000 to 11 UK organizations aimed at helping future generations, including Team Domenica, Only A Pavement Away, Fair Shot, The Right Course and the Down Syndrome Association’s WorkFit programme.

Team Domenica uses specialist training and employer partnerships to help young people with learning disabilities move into work. Felix is the 12th organization in the UK funding effort, but Hilton did not disclose the global foundation grant’s value.

Stephen Cassidy is Hilton’s senior vice president for UK & Ireland and chairman of the Hilton UK Foundation. The stated approach centers on apprenticeships, training, mentoring and hands-on workplace experience.

What do apprentices gain?

Felix’s model pairs recognized qualifications with practical hospitality experience, and two apprentices recently received their first professional hotel-kitchen experience at Hilton London Canary Wharf while working alongside the culinary team.

Zack Isse, 24, joined Felix’s chef apprenticeship programme after struggling to gain the experience needed to start a hospitality career. Isse said:

“Before joining the programme, I had a passion for food but didn’t have the experience or confidence to take the next step. Now I’m training as a chef, learning new skills every day and building a future in hospitality.”

“Working in a busy Hilton kitchen gave me a real sense of what the job involves and made me even more determined to succeed. There are lots of people with the passion to do well who just need the chance to learn and show what they can do.”

Maisie Moore, 21, had never held a paid job before joining the programme and was unsure about her future. Moore said:

“Over the past six months, I’ve gained confidence, developed practical skills and discovered how many opportunities hospitality can offer.”

“Working in a busy Hilton kitchen was a real highlight and pushed me outside my comfort zone. It showed me how much there is to learn in hospitality and the different directions a career in the industry could take me.”

For operators, this is training and recruiting in the same kitchen. The announced figures disclose no placement-to-hire rate, retention rate or wage saving, so the financial return remains unquantified.

Can hospitality expand the hiring pool?

Hilton is on track to support more than 4,000 young people across the UK this year through work placements, careers events, mock interviews, workshops and hotel visits, working with local schools, colleges and organizations.

Among its partners are organizations backed by the Hilton Global Foundation, including the UK hospitality careers charity Springboard. Together, Hilton and Springboard plan an early 2027 event for hundreds of students, parents, teachers and careers advisers to explore hospitality careers.

Hilton cites nearly one million young people across the UK as being not in education, employment or training. Its commissioned research found that more than four in five business leaders agreed that hospitality develops soft skills valued in other industries.

Seventy-six percent would be more likely to hire someone with hospitality experience over an otherwise equally qualified candidate. Eighty-one percent believe young people struggle to gain the experience employers expect without access to entry-level roles.

For operators, the training rationale is straightforward. The hiring case still needs numbers. The announced figures provide no hiring conversion, retention or compensation data.

What does Hilton bring beyond the grants?

Hilton (NYSE: HLT) operates 24 brands across more than 7,600 properties and nearly 1.2 million rooms in 126 countries and territories, having welcomed more than 3 billion guests over a history exceeding 100 years.

Great Place to Work and Fortune named Hilton the No. 1 World’s Best Workplace. The Dow Jones Sustainability Indices have recognized it as a global leader for seven consecutive years.

Hilton’s technology offerings include Digital Key Share, automated complimentary room upgrades and confirmed connecting-room bookings. The free Honors app handles booking, room selection, check-in, door access and checkout from a smartphone, replacing several front-desk steps. Hilton provides it at no user charge; nearly 190 million direct-booking Honors members can earn points for stays and experiences money cannot buy.

The next checkpoint is the early-2027 Hilton and Springboard event, which aims to help hundreds of students and advisers explore hospitality careers. The harder test is how many participants convert that interest into placements, qualifications and hospitality employment.