Celebrating the Impact of the Three-Way Partnership Between SCL Professional Apprenticeships, dnata Catering UK, and Green Corridor

SCL Professional Apprenticeships is proud to celebrate the ongoing success of its collaboration dnata Catering UK, and Green Corridor, a Heathrow-based charity dedicated to providing education and skills training for young people with additional needs. This three-way partnership continues to create life-changing learning opportunities while supporting vital community initiatives.

As part of this collaboration, dnata Catering UK has generously transferred £120,000 of their apprenticeship levy to Green Corridor. This funding is being used to develop a range of essential programmes, including Coaching, Team Leadership, Teaching Assistant, and Learning Skills Teacher apprenticeships. These initiatives provide learners with the skills and qualifications they need to succeed in their careers and contribute meaningfully to society.

The transfer of apprenticeship levy funding plays a vital role in enabling partnerships like this to thrive. Through the Apprenticeship Levy Transfer scheme, large employers can share up to 25% of their unused levy funds with charities. This not only prevents valuable funding from going unused but also provides a lifeline to charities, allowing them to offer fully funded apprenticeship training to staff and learners.

For Green Corridor, the apprenticeship levy funding provides a vital opportunity to upskill their workforce and deliver high-quality, tailored support to young people with additional needs – without bearing the full financial burden. It is also enabling them to expand their programmes, including sustainable initiatives such as growing their own vegetables – offering practical, hands-on experiences that develop essential life and employability skills, while supporting long-term workforce and community development.

Green Corridor is a specialist education provider where learners aged 16–25 with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) are supported as they prepare for the next stage of life, whether that be employment, a supported internship, or social care. Learners, parents, and staff consistently highlight the transformative impact of the provision, which has been further enhanced through this investment.

One of the driving forces behind this focus on development is the organisation’s HR team. Sarah Jones, Human Resources Manager, shares how the apprenticeship levy has helped realise these goals: “The apprenticeship levy funding has meant that we can upskill staff in areas such as team leader and coaching, this will not only impact on the individual apprentice, but also play a huge part in supporting the organization as a whole to develop, which will impact hugely on the level of support our learners get.  Learning is one of our values at Green Corridor and it is really important that we support our staff, as well as learners, to develop and progress.”

dnata Catering & Retail UK is one of the world’s largest inflight catering providers, and inflight retail services in the UK. They offer a comprehensive range of inflight catering, onboard retail and logistics services across all of the UK’s major and regional airports.  Their commitment to excellence and workforce development is evident in their support for apprenticeship programmes that enhance skills and career opportunities within the industry.

Stef Monks, Apprenticeship and L&D Manager – UK at dnata Catering UK said “As catering is at the heart of what do, we instantly clicked with Green Corridor and their amazing team of dedicated teachers and support teams. We went along to see what the charity was all about and to look into what we could do as a local employer to support the students in their ongoing development, life skills and employment. We wanted to be able to offer more support than just the odd volunteering day here and there and the apprenticeship levy has enabled us to do just that. I know that by enabling David and his team at Green Corridor to grow in their skills and development as managers, tutors and teaching assistants, it will have a positive,  long-term effect for all of the students who are lucky enough to attend this amazing venue.  I am so pleased that dnata Catering has been able to do what we have, and we see this as a long-term partnership with Green Corridor and SCL.”

“As catering is at the heart of what do, we instantly clicked with Green Corridor and their amazing team of dedicated teachers and support teams. We went along to see what the charity was all about and to look into what we could do as a local employer to support the students in their ongoing development, life skills and employment. We wanted to be able to offer more support than just the odd volunteering day here and there and the apprenticeship levy has enabled us to do just that. I know that by enabling David and his team at Green Corridor to grow in their skills and development as managers, tutors and teaching assistants, it will have a positive,  long-term effect for all of the students who are lucky enough to attend this amazing venue.  I am so pleased that dnata Catering has been able to do what we have, and we see this as a long-term partnership with Green Corridor and SCL.”

At SCL Professional Apprenticeships, we are committed to delivering high-quality learning experiences that drive personal and professional growth. In addition to our support for Green Corridor, we continue to work closely with dnata to deliver apprenticeship training in Management and Customer Services, further strengthening the skills of their workforce.

Simon Gleadall, Head of Commerical at SCL Professional added:

“Having worked with Stef for several years and witnessing her passion for high-quality development, it was a privilege to support her and Green Corridor, their charity partner. I had the incredible opportunity to visit their site near Heathrow and see firsthand the fantastic work they do. I am delighted that we were able to contribute to their ongoing development.”

The first cohort of learners benefiting from this initiative began their journey in January 2025, marking an important milestone in the success of this partnership.

This partnership reflects our shared dedication to fostering education, supporting employment opportunities, and empowering individuals with the knowledge and skills they need to thrive. By working together, we are not only enhancing career prospects for apprentices but also making a lasting difference within the community.