Compass Group Canada donates $900,000 to George Brown College Yes Chef!
Campaign

TORONTO, Feb. 22 /CNW/ - George Brown College's Centre for Hospitality and Culinary Arts has received a $900,000 donation from Compass Group Canada, in support of its Yes Chef! Campaign, a $5 million fundraising project, supporting its expansion and revitalization. In recognition of the donation -- the campaign's largest contribution to date -- George Brown will name its new, state-of-the-art culinary lab the "Compass Group Canada Culinary Lab" and its student café at 300 Adelaide St. East in Toronto, the "City Café."

"On behalf of George Brown College, I would like to express our sincere gratitude for Compass Group Canada's enthusiasm and generous support for our campaign," said John Walker, Dean of George Brown College's Centre for Hospitality & Culinary Arts. "The integrated learning partnership we have created with Compass will significantly impact our Chef School's ability to continually improve. Most importantly, it will help us prepare more high-quality, work-ready graduates in our expanded facilities."

"As one of Canada's Top 100 Employers, we are constantly on the lookout for the brightest and most talented culinary professionals in the industry," said Brenda Brown, Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Compass Group Canada and ESS North America. It is our priviledge and pleasure to work together with George Brown graduates, whom we consider to be among the best trained, most creative, and definitely service oriented culinarians that Canada has to offer," Brown said.

A Canadian leader in culinary arts and hospitality training, the Centre for Hospitality & Culinary Arts recently expanded its facilities at 300 Adelaide St. East in Toronto. It also restored a turn-of-the-century factory and warehouse building at 215 King St. East into what is now The Chefs' House, the college's signature street-front, student-run restaurant. The Yes Chef! campaign, which is helping to fund the expansion and revitalization, was developed to help the college meet the expected shortage of approximately 300,000 hospitality sector workers across Canada by 2015. With its new facilities and expanded programming, the college will be able to supply industry with additional hospitality and culinary graduates to support its labour market needs.

About George Brown College

With nine out of 10 graduates getting jobs within six months of graduation, Toronto's George Brown College has established a reputation for equipping students with the skills, industry experience and credentials to pursue the careers of their choice. From its two main campuses located across the downtown core, George Brown offers nearly 160 programs across a wide variety of professions. Students can earn diplomas, post-graduate certificates, industry accreditations, apprenticeships and four-year bachelor degrees. More than 22,000 students attend the College (full-time equivalent) with another 68,000 registered with the George Brown College School of Continuing Education. For more information, please visit www.georgebrown.ca.

About Compass Group Canada:

Compass Group Canada, one of Canada's Top 100 Employers, is the country's leading foodservice and support services company with revenues of $1.25 billion in 2009. Its head office is in Mississauga, Ontario. Its operating companies include Eurest Dining for business and industry; Eurest Services for Support Services; Chartwells, serving the K-12 and higher education markets; Morrison and Crothall, serving the healthcare industry; ESS serving remote/offshore and defense catering; Restaurant Associates, operating a portfolio of restaurants in museums and performing arts venues; Canteen Vending Services; and, The Hurley Group, provider of cleaning and facility management services. Compass Group also has partnerships with Levy Restaurants, the market leader in sports and entertainment foodservice, and Thompson Hospitality LLC, a minority strategic partner (based in the U.S.A.) Its parent company, UK-based Compass Group PLC, was ranked 20th largest employer by Fortune Magazine in 2008. Compass Group PLC has worldwide revenues of (pnds stlg)13.4 ($22.9 billion CAD) and employs 386,000 associates worldwide.

For further information: Maryam Mirkhaef, Communications Coordinator, [phone] ext. 6176, [email protected]; Cindy Harris, Director of Communications, Compass Group Canada, [phone] x 432, [email protected]