The Savoy Educational Trust Sets Out Bold Vision to Transform Hospitality Careers by 2030
This week at the iconic venue Simpson’s in the Strand, The Savoy Educational Trust (SET) celebrated its 65th anniversary and unveiled its Vision for 2030: a landmark five-year strategy that sets out how the charity will become the leading force inspiring young people to choose hospitality as a rewarding, long-term career, and ensuring the education and training pathways to get there are accessible, innovative, and fit for the future.
Alongside the launch of its Vision for 2030, the Trust revealed a refreshed brand identity – a visual expression of its renewed purpose and ambition. The new look reflects the Trust’s evolving role as a forward-looking organisation committed to inspiring the next generation entering the sector.
The Trust, which exists to empower the next generation of hospitality professionals through targeted grant-making, is clear that it will not work alone. Central to the strategy is a commitment to working in close partnership with schools, colleges, universities, employers, and industry organisations — funding and supporting projects that open doors, remove barriers, and create meaningful opportunities for those who wish to pursue a career in the sector.
A Vision Rooted in Impact
By 2030, SET has set itself measurable and stretching goals: to increase student participation in hospitality education by 30%, enable 10,000 individuals to access education, training and skills development programmes, and ensure that 75% of all grant-funded projects demonstrate clear pathways to long-term hospitality careers.
Underpinning these ambitions are five strategic goals: enhancing grant-making impact, inspiring greater participation in hospitality careers, supporting innovation in education and training, promoting career longevity and professional development, and fostering a culture of excellence and recognition across the sector.
Reaching Young People Early
A key pillar of the strategy is engaging young people at the earliest opportunity, working through schools and community programmes to embed hospitality as a valued career choice before students make decisions about their futures. SET will fund initiatives that provide meaningful interactions between employers and students, including experiential and work-based learning, mentoring, and co-curricular activities.
Among the flagship initiatives planned is the launch of the SET Scholarship Programme in 2027, developed in collaboration with further and higher education providers. The programme is designed to encourage participation in hospitality education and remove financial and practical barriers for those who might otherwise not pursue a career in the sector.
An Advocate for the Sector
SET sees its role as more than a funder. It wants to be a trusted voice and advocate for UK hospitality education. The strategy commits the Trust to collaborating with industry partners to champion careers and training in the sector, using media and communications to highlight success stories, and positioning itself as a thought leader driving innovation and change.
A national forum is planned for 2028 to bring together educators, employers, and policymakers to share learning and tackle the sector’s most pressing workforce challenges. By 2029, the Trust expects to have launched an Innovation Fund to actively seek out and scale the most promising new approaches to hospitality education and training.
Building for the Long Term
The 2030 vision is not simply about the number of grants awarded. It is about sustainable, transformative impact. SET will develop an outcomes-based evaluation framework to ensure every pound of funding is working as hard as possible, and will establish a SET Advisory Group drawing on the expertise of industry leaders, educators, and policymakers to keep its strategy aligned with the real needs of the sector.
A comprehensive impact report will be published in 2030, assessing the full reach and legacy of the strategy, with a possible national showcase event in 2031, coinciding with the Trust’s 70th anniversary year.
The Trust reported that by ‘2030, the Savoy Educational Trust will be the leading force inspiring young people to choose hospitality as a career of choice, ensuring that world-class education and training pathways are accessible, innovative, and fit for the future of the UK’s hospitality industry.’
Honouring Foundations
As it looks to the future, the Trust also announced Julia Sibley and Margaret Georgiou as its inaugural Honorary Patrons. A fitting tribute to two individuals who, between them, devoted more than 60 years of outstanding leadership and service to the Savoy Educational Trust. Their commitment, dedication, and passion for hospitality education have left a lasting legacy, and it is upon foundations such as theirs that the Vision for 2030 is built.
