Some of the UK’s best-known hospitality groups have pledged to open the door to as many as 100,000 young people not in work, education or training (NEET) over the next three years.
The scheme, put together with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and trade body UKHospitality, is aimed at 18- to 24-year-olds to tackle the growing number of young people not in employment. UK bars, clubs and restaurants taking part in the scheme include Wagamama, Nando’s, Burger King and McDonald’s, plus Premier Inn and pub groups Fuller’s and Mitchells & Butlers.
How does it work?
Participants will begin with placements of up to four weeks, designed to give them 'the skills and confidence needed to take their first step into work'. Andy Burnham is due to launch the scheme at a hospitality venue today (Thursday 15 October), with former M&S boss Marc Bolland, the government’s youth employment lead, helping to broker the deal.
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said it would ‘connect young people with employers ready to take them on’, while UKHospitality’s Allen Simpson called hospitality a ‘critical sector to solve the NEETs crisis’.
Why now?
According to data from the Office for National Statistics, 981,000 people aged 16 to 24 in the UK were NEET between April and June this year. Former health secretary Alan Milburn has warned that number is set to rise to 1.25 million over the next five years if the government doesn't intervene.
The initiative comes after major retailers including M&S, Asda, Pets at Home and the John Lewis Partnership announced a matching 100,000-job pledge last month. Education Secretary Lucy Powell is also expected to announce a review of school exclusion reforms, after research found that pupils who miss a tenth of school or more are 3.9 times likelier to end up NEET.
Can operators afford it?
Venues continue to face rising costs, with higher employer National Insurance and energy bills adding to the squeeze. Fuller’s boss Simon Emeny said in June that the appeal of taking on inexperienced young staff had 'gone away' for hospitality businesses since the increase in the under-21 minimum wage.
However, hospitality remains a major route into work for young people, with a UKHospitality analysis suggesting the sector provides around 300,000 job starts for 16- to 24-year-olds every year. For an industry that prides itself on being a launchpad for careers, it will be worth watching how this pledge turns into real roles.
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