Skills Minister endorses hospitality for the unemployed
By Caroline Wilkinson
Training opportunities
Travelodge’s 2012 Skills Race, a pioneering employment programme for the long-term unemployed, was launched recently by skills minister, David Lammy at the company’s new £36m, hotel in Southwark, London.
The programme, established in October 2007, is a partnership between Travelodge and government agency Job Centre Plus with the aim of increasing the size of London’s workforce for the 2012 Olympics. It was trialed at four other London sites in preparation for the launch.
Travelodge recruited 50 per cent of its team for the new hotel from the scheme, with a firm eye on setting high standards. Shula Gillam, senior PR executive for Travelodge, said: “Hiring people through the programme will depend on the caliber of candidates -– we will not comprise on the quality of our staff.”
Lammy said: “Ensuring success on the athletics track or in the swimming pool in 2012 is really important but it’s also crucial that we use the Games as a catalyst to equip Londoners with the skills they need to thrive in the workplace.”
The launch of 2012 Skills Race also showcased the UK’s first foundation degree in Hospitality, Budget Hotel and Retail Management - a qualification developed by Travelodge and Westminster Kingsway College. A spokesperson said: “This course will bridge the skills gaps in the industry at all levels. Our foundation degree has been adapted to meet the needs of the budget sector, and we’re working with employers to provide programmes that upskill the workforce and improve productivity and motivation.”
The foundation degree and employment partnership will join the budget chain’s growing list of training options, which include a graduate training scheme and a Fast Track to Management Programme.
Gillam says these schemes are supporting Travelodge’s UK growth strategy, which involves the creation of 1,000 new jobs in 2008 when a new hotel will open every six working days. In 2009 this will accelerate to every 36 hours.
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Travelodge’s 2012 Skills Race, a pioneering employment programme for the long-term unemployed, was launched recently by skills minister, David Lammy at the company’s new £36m, hotel in Southwark, London.
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