Greene King has re-affirmed its commitment to providing opportunities for young people by offering a further 2,000 apprenticeships over the next 12 months. The company will work with its national apprenticeship provider, Lifetime Training, to help young people hone the skills necessary to progress from team members to general managers through a structured programme of advanced management qualifications.
Greene King has just fulfilled its 2014 quota of 2,000, meaning that it has helped support over 4,500 apprentices since 2011.
An apprentice in each site
Greene King is aiming to have an apprentice in each of its 1,000 sites at all times. The scheme’s combination of workplace training and academic learning will give the apprentices a wide range of experience working across Greene King’s pub, restaurant and hotel sites.
As a result of Greene King’s outstanding commitment to giving people a clear career path and an opportunity to progress, Greene King was a finalist in the ‘Apprenticeships 4 England Employer of the Year Award’, the results of which were revealed on 3 March.
Rooney Anand, Greene King chief executive, said: “We are pleased to announce that we will be taking on another 2,000 apprentices this year. It is so important to support young people to get that all-important first step on the career ladder. Apprenticeships provide learners with valuable skills which will help them to build a career. Our new pledge is a testament to the level of support we provide to the hospitality industry as well as our investment in our employees. We offer opportunities to those of all ages and it is highly encouraging to see that so many of our sites have taken up the programme and we hope that over the coming years we are able to further grow and develop the scheme.”
Combatting the shortage of chefs
The programme has supported Greene King’s ambition to combat the industry shortage of chefs, and since last summer, more than 75% of all recruited apprentices have been for ‘back of house’ roles including some in the kitchen. Rooney continued: “Apprenticeships help to reduce team turnover, increase employee engagement and provide us with the opportunity to grow our own talent by investing in our people and supporting their career ambitions.”
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