Whitbread PLC, owner of Premier Inn and Costa, has committed to creating more than 6,000 apprenticeships by 2020 as well as the launch of a brand new apprenticeship scheme for Costa, the nation’s favourite coffee shop. To deliver this pledge Whitbread plans to take on around 1,200 apprentices across its Premier Inn, Costa and restaurant brands each year.
The Premier Inn apprenticeship scheme has been running since 2010 and has successfully delivered over 1100 apprenticeships to date with a further 950 trainees currently working towards their apprenticeship. The new Costa Apprenticeships programme will provide an Intermediate Apprenticeshipin Customer Service and Barista Skills and will open for applications in Summer 2015.
£5.7 million investment
Andy Harrison, CEO of Whitbread said:
“Our 45,000 team members are our greatest asset and it’s vital we invest in them, creating opportunities to develop their skills and build their careers. We will commit £5.7 millionto our apprenticeship programmes over the next five years. I firmly believe that investing in apprenticeships is essential to Whitbread’s future success and to the health of the UK economy, as well as helping the next generation to achieve their full potential.”
The Prime Minister, David Cameron,said:
“There really has never been a better time to start an apprenticeship and it’s a huge leap forward to have Whitbread, one of Britain’s leading employers in the hospitality industry, hiring even more apprentices.
‘We want Apprenticeships to be level-pegging with a University degree giving millions more people the dignity of work and a regular pay packet. We’ve already created 2.2 million Apprenticeships since 2010 but a future Conservative government is committed to opening up 3 million more high quality apprenticeships – to help strengthen our economy and communities and give millions more people financial security.”
Success stories
Whitbread’s commitment to apprenticeships leads to real success stories, with 34% of apprentices gaining a promotion within 15 months and 95% of them moving to management positions within the same time frame. Apprentices are also 45% more likely to stay with the company than non-apprentices.
As part of Whitbread’s commitment to tackling youth unemployment, Whitbread’s newest venture, the hub by Premier Inn hotel on St. Martin’s Lane is staffed almost entirely by local young people who were not previously in education, employment or training. In addition, Premier Inn aims to fill at least half of any new opening vacancies with people that were previously unemployed.
Work experience and employment placements
In addition to our target of 6,000 apprenticeships by 2020 Whitbread has also set targets to place 7500 young people on work experience placements and to offer 6,500 employment placements by 2020 across its Premier Inn, Costa and restaurant brands.
To find out more about the Premier Inn Apprenticeship programme click here
To register interest in applying for a Costa apprenticeship the email address is costaapprenticeships@whitbread.co.uk
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