For young people struggling to get their first chance, a new recruitment partnership could offer a way into work.
You want to work, but employers keep asking for experience. Yet without someone giving you a chance, where is that experience supposed to come from?
For young people facing that frustration, a new partnership between the UK Government and some of Britain’s biggest hospitality employers is worth watching.
Announced on 15 October, the partnership with UKHospitality targets 100,000 paid jobs over three years for people aged 18 to 24 who are not in education, employment or training. Employers involved include Whitbread, which owns Premier Inn, as well as McDonald’s, Nando’s, Marriott and Wagamama. The partnership also includes work experience and training opportunities. www.gov.uk
These are commitments to recruit over time. They do not mean 100,000 vacancies are available to apply for immediately.
Getting that first foot in the door
For Ghanaian and other African families in Britain, conversations about a young person’s future often involve education, qualifications and finding a good job.
But the period between leaving education and finding work can be difficult. Applications go unanswered, confidence falls and the question “Have you found anything yet?” becomes harder to hear.
A first job can help break that cycle. Alongside earning money, a young person can build confidence, learn workplace skills, gain a reference, and add experience to their CV.
Hospitality can also offer a career in its own right, with opportunities across hotels, restaurants, catering and visitor attractions. For others, it can provide experience that helps them take their next step.
Who is the announcement aimed at?
The partnership is aimed at 18–24-year-olds currently outside education, employment and training. That could include a school leaver or an unemployed graduate who meets the conditions. Individual opportunities will have their own requirements. www.ukhospitality.org.uk
Where can young people start looking?
The announcement does not provide one central application form covering all the promised jobs. However, there are existing routes readers can use while further details emerge:
- Speak to a Jobcentre Plus work coach. Ask about local hospitality vacancies and training routes.
- Ask about a hospitality Sector-based Work Academy Programme, known as a SWAP. Where available and subject to eligibility, these programmes combine training, work experience and a guaranteed job interview. An interview does not guarantee a job. GOV.UK
- Check the official careers pages of participating employers. These can show current vacancies, locations and entry requirements, although an advertised vacancy should not automatically be treated as part of the new partnership.
- Visit the government’s JobHelp hospitality page for information about working in the sector. Some entry-level roles do not require previous experience or formal qualifications; applicants should check each advert. JobHelp
Before accepting an opportunity, ask about the pay, guaranteed hours, travel costs, training and whether it is a paid job or a work experience placement.
The announcement is encouraging. What matters next is whether those commitments become accessible opportunities with proper support and a realistic chance to progress.
For a young person ready to work, someone opening that first door can make a lasting difference.
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