The Importance of Accessible, Affordable Food for Trade School Students

Trade schools offer an excellent opportunity for students to develop skills that will directly translate into career options shortly after graduation. This is why trade school enrollments have been soaring in recent years. 

Of course, there is plenty of hard work required to get through the program and become qualified in a trade, and you can help your students succeed by making sure they have access to quality food and beverage options on campus. 

InReach is an industry leader in convenient food and beverage solutions. Upgrading what is available on your campus might sound too complicated or expensive, but it doesn’t need to be either of those things. Get started with a phone call or message today, and let’s work together to keep your students on the right track. 

Accommodating Your Students’ Busy Schedules

Trade school students are busy. Many, if not most, of your students are likely to have jobs while going through the program, so they don’t have time to waste. Between the commute to class, the time they spend studying, and the hours they work at a job each day, there is hardly a minute to spare. 

Food that is easily accessible can help them get through these days without running out of time. They’ll be able to quickly grab a snack or portable meal from one of your food service amenities and keep right on going. Without access to such convenient food, these students might fall behind during the day or simply skip meals, which is sure to take away from their performance. 

Respecting Budget Constraints

Most students in a trade school setting aren’t at a point in life where they have plenty of disposable income available. They are in school to upgrade their career prospects and earning potential. The future may look bright in terms of their financial outlook, but for now, this is a group of people who need to watch their budgets carefully. 

You can again be of service to your students by making sure that nutritious, affordable food is always close at hand on campus. Knowing that meals and snacks can be purchased at school for a reasonable price will be one less thing these students need to worry about. 

Proper Nutrition Supports Academic Performance

Performing well in the classroom requires mental focus and plenty of physical energy. No matter what type of trade is being studied, the work is sure to be demanding, and the individual’s best effort is required day after day.

These classes can go from difficult to nearly impossible when proper nutrition isn’t available. If a student is hungry during class, whether because no food is conveniently available or because they can’t afford a snack, that hunger will be distracting from the task at hand. This is a negative cycle that schools can turn around through better on-campus food solutions. Suddenly, with affordable food nearby, students will be fueled up and ready to focus on each lesson and retain what they have learned. 

Upgrade Your Overall Campus Culture

It can be difficult to build a strong culture on a trade school campus. The nature of these schools is such that students are commuting from other places, don’t live together, and might not forge that many relationships with their classmates. 

Common areas that offer great food will help build a better culture of connection, though. These spaces are populated by students before and after class, and relationships are sure to grow out of these interactions. This is one impact of your food services program that might seem subtle and minor at first, but it will grow more powerful over time. Pay attention, and you may start to notice students spending more time with one another, establishing friendships, and engaging more with the school as a whole. 

Exploring the Possibilities

It should be clear by this point that there are many ways your students can benefit from the availability of affordable food options on campus. But how do you make that happen? What would this kind of program look like, and how can it be implemented effectively?

As a simple starting point, vending machines can make food and drinks available around campus. Modern smart vending machines are a huge upgrade from past generations, so even if your campus already has some machines in place, taking a fresh look at what is available today would be a wise move. With touchless payment systems and better product varieties, your students will love what new machines mean for their daily experience at school. 

Adding a micro market to your campus would be an even greater upgrade to food and drink options. Micro markets can present a range of food options, including portable meals, fresh sandwiches, salads, and much more. They can be open at all hours of the day and night without the need for staff to run the operation. The size and shape of your new micro market can be customized to perfectly fit the space you have available. 

Benefits for the Students and the School

Upgrading your on-campus food options is not just going to benefit the students you are serving; it will also directly help the school. This is an investment that can be expected to pay off for everyone involved, which is why it makes so much sense to get started on the project right away. 

How will your school benefit as a result of these improvements? Let’s take a closer look:

• Improved Student Retention: Having a good experience on campus means that students will be more likely to stick around and complete their whole program. The students will feel supported and valued when affordable meals and snacks are available. 
• A Reputation Boost: You probably aren’t the only trade school in the area. There is competition for the attention of prospective students who want to study a trade, and having as many amenities as possible on your campus will help your reputation and hopefully help you secure more enrollments. 
• On-Campus Presence: There won’t be as many reasons for students to leave during the school day when they can get the food and drinks they want right there on campus. That means they’ll be more engaged with the school overall and may be more likely to participate in other programs or extracurricular activities. 

Team Up With the Right Partner

It’s easy to see how having access to convenient, affordable, high-quality food and beverage services will make life easier for your trade school students. Getting in touch with InReach today is the right move! Our talented and friendly team will help you understand the available options and get to know more about your situation and the spaces you have available. 

Proudly part of Sodexo, InReach offers global reach, customized attention, and a large, growing buying network that keeps food costs low and quality high. Contact us today to learn more.