Sodexo pioneers dual-provider apprenticeship programme to strengthen career pathways

People
Jun. 25, 2026

Sodexo UK & Ireland has relaunched its Grow with Sodexo Academy with a new pioneering dual-provider model, bringing together two providers, GLP Training and HIT Training, to strengthen leadership capability, improve workforce agility and support long-term career progression.

Bringing together hospitality and FM into one connected pathway, the newly launched Grow with Sodexo development programme will provide participants with clearer picture of the progression routes Sodexo offers as well as a more consistent development experience across FM and hospitality and level 2, 3 and 4 apprenticeships.

The new programme will see GLP Training, Sodexo’s FM training partner and HIT Training, its hospitality training partner provides an enhanced development programme focused on delivering specialist skills alongside multiskilling, problem solving, leadership and change management.

This new approach also supports earlier engagement in learning – particularly among entry-level and younger employees – while responding to business needs. It provides Sodexo’s employees with broader cross-segment exposure, enabling them to better understand the scale of Sodexo, and see clearer progression routes and opportunities across the business. This supports workforce agility, internal progression and stronger leadership capability.

It is our belief that everyone should have the opportunity to succeed.
By bringing together our two specialist training providers into a single, integrated programme allows us to offer both deep technical skills and broader, transferable capabilities to help our people build clearer career pathways while supporting the future agility of our workforce.
Our success is driven by our people and by investing in our people and creating clearer, more structured pathways, we are helping our colleagues build the skills and confidence to progress, while strengthening capability across our business.

Pete SiddleDirector of Talent and Learning, Sodexo UK & Ireland

The Grow with Sodexo Academy provides structured development pathways designed to improve progression and representation at all levels, the new dual-provider approach to the programme offers a more cohesive learner journey by bringing together specialist expertise into a single, integrated approach.

The future of workforce development lies in breaking down traditional silos and creating learning pathways that reflect how modern organisations operate.
Sodexo's vision for a connected apprenticeship programme is a powerful example of what's possible when employers and experienced specialist training providers collaborate to rethink talent development.
As proud stakeholders in this dual-provider model, we believe it not only builds specialist expertise, but also develops the adaptable, confident leaders businesses need to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

Gemma ParsonsChief Executive Officer, GLP Training

Apprenticeships play a central role in Sodexo’s social impact strategy. The organisation considers all vacancies and roles as apprenticeship opportunities wherever possible, demonstrating its commitment to creating varied career pathways and promoting social mobility.

We are incredibly proud to partner with Sodexo and GLP on this ground-breaking programme.
Together, we have created a pioneering model that makes the absolute most of the Growth and Skills Levy to deliver real value.
This approach gives existing frontline teams much better opportunities to grow, while creating a brilliant pathway to attract new people into the sector.
By joining forces as two specialist providers, we are proving that collaboration is the best way to help people progress their careers and drive long-term success for Sodexo.

Matthew RobinsonChief Commercial Officer, HIT Training

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Sodexo’s commitment to its people and for driving social mobility was recently recognised at the 2026 British Business Awards, where it was awarded Employer of the Year. Sodexo was also included, for the third consecutive year, in the recently published Times Top 50 Employers for Gender Equality. Led by Business in the Community the list is the UK’s most highly profiled and established listing of employers taking action to create workplaces where everyone, regardless of their gender, can thrive.

Explore career paths with Sodexo

Find out more about apprenticeships at Sodexo

Read Sodexo's Social Impact Pledge 2030

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Apprenticeship programmes can support workforce agility when they are designed as part of a wider talent development strategy, rather than treated as isolated training interventions. A connected learning pathway helps employees build specialist skills while gaining broader exposure to different areas of the organisation.

This type of model can strengthen internal progression by helping people see clearer routes through the organisation and identify opportunities beyond their immediate role or segment. It also supports stronger leadership capability by developing both technical competence and transferable capabilities such as problem solving, change management and confidence.
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Dual-provider models remain relatively uncommon in traditional apprenticeship structures, which are often delivered through a single training provider aligned to a specific discipline.
Sodexo’s approach for its Grow academy represents a shift away from siloed training towards a more collaborative, employer-led model that reflects how modern organisations operate across multiple service lines.
This suggests an emerging but still developing practice within workforce development, particularly in industries requiring both specialist expertise and operational flexibility.
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A dual-provider apprenticeship model can be useful where an organisation needs both deep technical expertise and a consistent learner journey across different functions. In this example, Sodexo brings together GLP Training as its facilities management training partner and HIT Training as its hospitality training partner, creating a single integrated programme across FM and hospitality.
The value of this approach is that it combines specialist provider expertise with a shared development structure. The announcement describes the model as designed to deliver specialist skills alongside multiskilling, problem solving, leadership and change management, which are all important for building adaptable employees and future leaders.
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Structured development pathways can contribute to social mobility by making progression routes more visible and accessible, especially for employees at earlier career stages.
A practical way to embed this is to consider vacancies and roles as apprenticeship opportunities wherever possible. This helps create varied career pathways, supports access to development across different levels of the workforce and can contribute to broader social mobility goals.
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Sodexo pioneers dual-provider apprenticeship programme to strengthen career pathways

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How can apprenticeship programmes support workforce agility and internal progression?

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How typical are dual-provider apprenticeship models in workforce development, and how do they compare to single-provider training structures?

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Why are dual-provider apprenticeship models useful for building specialist and transferable skills?

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How do structured development pathways contribute to social mobility and representation?

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How can apprenticeship programmes support workforce agility and internal progression?

How typical are dual-provider apprenticeship models in workforce development, and how do they compare to single-provider training structures?

Why are dual-provider apprenticeship models useful for building specialist and transferable skills?

How do structured development pathways contribute to social mobility and representation?