Twenty-three young and unemployed Londoners have been offered the chance of a career in the hospitality industry, due to an initiative funded by Solidarity AccorHotels, from AccorHotels, the world’s leading hotel operator, which owns brands including Sofitel, Mercure, Novotel and ibis.
The youths have graduated from the “Hospitality Futures” programme, a partnership between the hotel group and the Springboard Charity which offered 23 unemployed people the opportunity to move into a sustainable career in hospitality.
The programme puts young people not in education, employment or training through a nine week initial course, which includes five weeks of classroom training and on-the-job experience. The aim is to secure every participant a job at the end of the programme, helping to combat the systemic problem of youth unemployment in London.
The young people on the programme have been through a variety of life challenges, including illnesses like depression and anxiety, or even spells in prison, which have made it harder for them to find employment. The course aims to teach them a wide variety of skills that employers are looking for as well as those specific to the hospitality industry.
The graduation for the programme’s fourth annual intake recently took place at the Novotel London West Hotel. 23 out of 25 young people on the course graduated.
Thomas Dubaere, Managing Director AccorHotels UK & Ireland commented: “Now in its fourth year, Hospitality Futures is a unique programme, which has successfully provided young people with a range of skills, training and experience to support them into a sustainable career within the hospitality industry.
“It’s rewarding to see a young person progress to a position of employment and we’ve seen positive effects on a group of people that might have otherwise been overlooked, often due to factors outside of their control. The feedback we get from those on the course is overwhelmingly positive and the effects are long-lasting. The majority of the people who graduate work their way up to a more senior role in AccorHotels, or in the wider hospitality industry.”
Last year the programme was also launched in Birmingham, providing help to an additional 15 young people. The Springboard Charity supports each candidate with an after-care service which includes mentoring for a minimum of six months. This is coupled with professional mentoring from carefully trained Ambassador Mentors during and after candidate work placements.
Springboard’s Chief Executive, Anne Pierce, said “We are once again delighted to be working with Solidarity Accor on the Hospitality Futures programme which continues to encourage individuals to pursue vibrant careers in the hospitality industry. Today we saw yet another group of young people unlock their potential and open the door to future opportunities. Springboard wish them every success for their future.”
Hospitality Futures was a contributing factor to AccorHotels UK & Ireland winning ‘Employer of the Year’ at the 2015 Mayor’s Fund for London Awards, beating strong competition. The Employer of the Year category specifically recognises the employer who can best demonstrate an understanding of the systemic problem of youth unemployment (16 to 24) in London, the needs of young people with regards to employment and the steps they have taken to reduce the effects.