Hospitality Giants Pledge 100,000 Opportunities For Young People Outside Work And Education
Some of the biggest names in UK hospitality have committed to offering up to 100,000 opportunities to young people who are not in employment, education or training (NEET) over the next three years.
The programme has been developed with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and trade body UKHospitality. It targets 18- to 24-year-olds, and employers signed up so far include Wagamama, Nando’s, Burger King, McDonald’s and Premier Inn, alongside pub operators Fuller’s and Mitchells & Butlers.
Recruits will start with placements lasting up to four weeks, intended to build the practical skills and self-assurance they need to enter the workplace for the first time. Andy Burnham is set to launch the initiative at a hospitality venue today (Thursday 15 October). Marc Bolland, the former M&S chief executive who serves as the government’s youth employment lead, helped bring the agreement together.
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said: “Hospitality has long provided young people with a route into the world of work. I’m delighted that the industry is helping unemployed young people get their first step on the ladder and build their careers. With the UK employment rate now the second highest in the G7, this will unlock 100,000 jobs and connect young people with employers ready to take them on and help them build a brighter future.”
Allen Simpson, Chief Executive of UKHospitality, said: “Hospitality is the number one employer of young people in the economy, providing valuable and rewarding routes into work.
“This announcement demonstrates the Government’s recognition of hospitality as a critical sector to solve the NEETs crisis and we’re pleased to work together on this partnership to target 100,000 job opportunities for NEET young people, as well as on creating the right conditions for growth. Expanding access to support for the Hospitality Skills Passport, which has already seen enormous success, is incredibly positive and will rightly form a significant pillar of our work together to achieve this goal.”
The scale of the challenge
Office for National Statistics figures show 981,000 people aged 16 to 24 were classed as NEET between April and June this year. Former health secretary Alan Milburn has cautioned that the total could climb to 1.25 million within five years without government action.
Last month, major retailers including M&S, Asda, Pets at Home and the John Lewis Partnership made a matching pledge of 100,000 jobs. Education Secretary Lucy Powell is also expected to announce a review of school exclusion reforms, following research indicating that pupils who miss a tenth or more of their schooling are 3.9 times more likely to become NEET.
Cost pressures remain
The pledge arrives as venues continue to grapple with higher employer National Insurance contributions and energy bills. In June, Fuller’s chief executive Simon Emeny said the incentive to take on inexperienced young staff had faded for operators since the rise in the under-21 minimum wage.
Even so, the sector remains a significant gateway to work. UKHospitality analysis suggests hospitality accounts for roughly 300,000 job starts a year among 16- to 24-year-olds. The industry will now be judged on how many of the pledged opportunities become lasting roles.