Holiday Inn Shows NEETs Hospitality

Graduate Challenge, a new project launched by the University of Gloucestershire and Gloucestershire First, is designed to nurture local talent and keep it within the county.

The programme, funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) to sustain employment growth amongst young people since the recession, targets graduates living in Gloucestershire who are either out of work or working fewer than 16 hours a week and offers the opportunity to apply for one of 150 available work placements.

“One year's experience in our industry will be invaluable for any candidate,” says Kimberley Hatherall, Sales & Marketing Manager Holiday Inn Express Cheltenham. “In such a competitive job market young people are too often turned away by employers when they have valid, passionate and fresh ideas to bring to any business. Such talent needs to be sustained within the local business community.”

Other recent projects have included work placements for A-level students at Cheltenham’s National Star College.

The alliance between the hotel and the college has generated work placement programmes for students who may not have access to equivalent work experience opportunities because of their capabilities. The five-week programme integrates students into all areas of the business, from kitchen duties to sales and marketing.

Although figures from Jobcentre Plus show the unemployment rate for the South West to be faring better than the national average, the number of young people out of work in South Gloucestershire has gone up from 2.9 to 4.5 percent since the recession took hold.

Currently, 4.3 percent of 16- to 18-year-olds in the district are officially classified as NEETs: Not in Employment, Education or Training. Furthermore, this year's record A-level pass rate means the shortage of university placements for the next academic year is forcing would-be undergraduates to reconsider their options.

In addition to the Graduate Challenge, the hotel is also currently working with Working Links in Cheltenham, supporting young people who are struggling to get back into employment.

The initiative to employ locally has had several benefits to the Holiday Inn Express Cheltenham. Frontline staff hold local knowledge and can therefore make well-informed recommendations to guests, and are able communicate key information on forthcoming events in the areas that may impact occupancy levels. This has resulted in an increase in overall performance for the hotel, notably reflected in guest satisfaction scoring.