One of Newcastle’s newest hotels has worked with Newcastle City Council’s WorkFirst team to appoint a new member of staff. Wayne Chapman has joined the Hampton by Hilton team as Kitchen Porter, after succeeding in his first ever job interview.
Newcastle City Council’s WorkFirst scheme supports people with disabilities in finding work through a programme of work placements and training. Before joining the Hampton by Hilton team, Wayne had completed his training at Capability’s, Supported Employment’s training centre in Byker, where he gained catering experience and qualifications.
Paolo Franchi, general manager at Hampton by Hilton Newcastle, said: “We were so impressed with Wayne’s commitment and enthusiasm and he’s quickly become an integral member of our team, working with the other kitchen staff to provide breakfast for the hotel guests.”
Hampton by Hilton Newcastle is a newly opened 160 room hotel located opposite Newcastle Central Station. It provides accommodation for business travellers and people visiting the city for holidays and short breaks.
“Breakfast can be one of the busiest times of our day at Hampton by Hilton Newcastle and we couldn’t do it without Wayne’s input.” added Paolo.
Wayne, who lives in Heaton, said: “I’m loving it. Since I started here I’ve never looked back and it’s a good team here. Working at Capability gave me a taste of what work was like and I was keen to move on to a job – I wanted to get stuck in and get started.”
Joanne Barlow, WorkFirst Supported Employment Officer, said: “The Supported Employment team at WorkFirst concentrates on people’s ability rather than their disability. Our clients have gained roles with lots of major employers in Newcastle and Wayne’s appointment here at Hampton by Hilton is our latest successful match between an employer and employee.”
Wayne has joined the 60-strong team at Hampton by Hilton Newcastle, which opened in March. The hotel opened following a multi-million pound makeover of the former Baron House building.