Employment and Skills

Target

Maximise local employment and skills

Kensington and Chelsea is one of the most diverse communities in the country, with the second largest wealth gap in the UK, and a quarter of working residents earning less than the London Living Wage –inequalities which were exacerbated during COVID.

An estimated 14,800 local jobs are supported by Cadogan, with the majority of direct employment being in the retail and hospitality sectors – equivalent to nearly 20% of the Borough’s workforce. Approaching 8,000 local people are currently unemployed or economically inactive in the Borough, yet wanting to work1, and we are in a position to be able to support local recruitment.

Therefore, in partnership with the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, we have created the role of "Employment Opportunities Coordinator" – a position dedicated to working proactively with local businesses to support their recruitment requirements. The aim is to create opportunities for local residents – including marginalised communities, young people and the longterm unemployed – by understanding the needs of individuals and employers and finding creative ways to bring them together. This includes identifying transferable skills and opportunities to reskill and upskill potential local candidates, alongside supporting businesses to provide quality, sustainable employment opportunities.

In addition, working with the Kensington and Chelsea Foundation, Cadogan has sponsored the creation of the St Giles Trust’s Job Club. This charity uses expertise and real-life past experiences to empower and engage people held back by poverty, exploited, abused, dealing with addiction or mental health problems, or caught up in crime. Since its creation in 2021, the Job Club has supported residents with CV writing and employability skills, alongside applications for Universal Credit and forms of identification. In 2022, 45 people were supported into employment or education through this service.

Cadogan is committed to paying at least the London Living Wage and supporting local upskilling in all businesses (including our leisure and hospitality operators) – we have also set this requirement for all suppliers and contractors. Our development contractors on our major sites have themselves appointed 14 apprentices and upskilled 56 people this year alone.

We support greater diversity in the property industry through participating in the Pathways to Property programme run by the Reading Real Estate Foundation, offering work experience and guidance to young people who might not otherwise have access to such opportunities. In 2022, Cadogan also created a bursary through the Worshipful Company of Chartered Surveyors, funding a student from an underprivileged background through their Real Estate degree and providing support and guidance along the way.

Together with our school engagement programme –supporting local students to develop entrepreneurial skills, facilitating workplace visits, and hosting engaging sessions to promote careers in property – we have reached over 270 individuals in targeted skills development in 2022.

Case Study

Upskilling new Hospitality Talent

To provide a long-term solution to both the hospitality industry struggling to recruit and retain staff, and local unemployment challenges, Cadogan has partnered with the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and five local hotels to bring the Saira Hospitality training programme to the Borough. Through an intensive four-week training programme, work experience and personal development, 23 local people (all of whom were previously unemployed, most for over 12 months) have gained new skills and connections in the hospitality industry, with four students securing jobs before the programme completed. We will remain in touch with all students to track the longterm impacts of the programme and will consider similar initiatives targeting luxury retail and restaurant industries.

CASE STUDY Supporting Apprentices

Cadogan has employed an apprentice to work closely with our seasoned Gardens team, nurturing the next generation of urban horticulturists. We have also donated our Apprenticeship Levy to local hospitality operators – redistributing this fund which would not otherwise benefit the local economy – to smaller organisations in the Borough, enabling them to take on apprentices and upskill existing staff, supporting business growth and increasing opportunities for local people.

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