METRO is starting a hospitality training programme for former homeless people
07 November 2024
Homelessness is a major social problem in Germany, and one that is becoming ever more pressing. Estimated 50,000 men and women live on the streets in Germany, and more than 600,000 are homeless. One of the promising approaches to ending homelessness is being pursued by Housing First e. V. Düsseldorf, a city-sponsored association and part of a European initiative. It uses synergies from business, science, social work and private engagement to help homeless people into flats and offers flexible, accompanying support to help them maintain their housing in the long term.
The next step towards rehabilitation – the integration of those affected into working life so that they can earn their own living – is, however, a major challenge. This is precisely where the pilot project ‘Housing first meets Gastro’ by METRO AG and Housing First Düsseldorf comes in. During a 4-week ‘hospitality training’ course in the test kitchen and canteen of METRO AG, selected participants are prepared for potential future work in the hospitality sector and can demonstrate their willingness, resilience and mental stability for work in the hospitality industry.
‘In order to really end homelessness and support sustainable reintegration into society, the integration of those affected into the labour market is crucial. We want to actively support this,' says Andrea Weber, who heads the project on behalf of METRO AG. “We are happy to provide our expertise to this end, on the one hand by making resources available here on campus in Düsseldorf, but on the other hand we also see a great advantage in our close connection to the hospitality industry, which is desperately looking for workers”.
The pilot project is currently running with eight participants, who are initially learning the basic skills in the test kitchen of METRO's own-brand development. The participants will then be deployed in the METRO canteen, also in the kitchen or at the food counter. A special concept has been developed in which selected chefs from METRO Campus Services prepare the participants for the tasks in a professional kitchen. The participants are always accompanied by a Housing First employee, who provides support with the organisational process. The next phase will start in mid-November, in which the participants will be placed in the hospitality industry for a 2-month test phase.
Hubert Ostendorf, managing director of the street magazine fiftyfifty, appeals to Düsseldorf-based companies: ‘We are very happy to have a strong partner like METRO at our side. Economic and social responsibility must go hand in hand to support people on their way back into society in the long term. I therefore invite other companies in Düsseldorf to follow METRO's example and also work with Housing First to create a wide range of employment opportunities for formerly homeless people.’
METRO is a leading international food wholesaler which specialises in serving the needs of hotels, restaurants, and caterers (HoReCa) as well as independent merchants (Traders). Around the world, METRO has approx. 15 million customers who benefit from the wholesale company’s unique multichannel mix: customers can purchase their goods in one of the large stores in their area as well as by delivery (Food Service Distribution, FSD) – all digitally supported and connected. In parallel, METRO MARKETS is being developed as an international online marketplace for the needs of professional customers which has been growing and expanding continuously since 2019. Acting sustainably is one of the company principles of METRO which has been listed in various sustainability indices and rankings, including MSCI, Sustainalytics and CDP. METRO operates in more than 30 countries and employs over 89,000 people worldwide. In financial year 2022/23, METRO generated sales of €30.6 billion.
More information can be found at MPULSE.de, our online magazine.
