Over 2,500 young Londoners secure hospitality jobs via recruitment initiative

Hospitality charity Springboard has helped more than 2,500 young Londoners secure jobs in hospitality as part of its ‘Springboard to 2022’ initiative, which sought to support 10,000 people nationwide into employment in the sector.

The initiative saw the charity help thousands of people from “all walks of life” find employment, including Ukrainian refugees, care leavers, those with mental and physical health conditions, and various other barriers.

Launched to help the industry rebuild from the ongoing impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, Springboard to 2022 sought to tackle the hospitality, leisure, and tourism industry’s long-term staffing crisis by ensuring an engaged, skilled talent pipeline to fill vacancies.

The charity is now celebrating having surpassed its initial target, helping more than 10,000 people nationwide secure jobs in hospitality, with a quarter of those filling vacancies within London. Work has been secured with businesses including IHG, Compass, Hilton, Jury’s Inn, Starbucks, Pizza Hut, and Nando’s.

Of the 10,000 people securing jobs in hospitality, 56 per cent were male and 46 per cent were female, with 85 per cent aged under 30. 40 per cent went into front-of-house roles, 25 per cent into the kitchen, 15 per cent into reception jobs, 8 per cent into cleaning, and 12 per cent into support roles, including marketing, finance, or maintenance.

Among the trainees, Harry Smalley, from London, was born with cerebral palsy. Throughout his professional career, he has struggled to secure a job in an accessible and accepting workplace. Harry was placed in contact with Springboard through his local Jobcentre and has now secured work at Georgian House Hotel in Pimlico.

Discussing his experience, Harry commented: “The hospitality sector is a great place to work. It gives young people the opportunity to build a wide range of skills - from communication, customer service, and cultural awareness to multi-tasking, adaptability, attention to detail, and more!

“The Springboard team helped me find a compassionate and understanding prospective employer. Ultimately, this experience has given me the confidence and ability to secure a fantastic job with the wonderful team at Georgian House Hotel.”

Chris Gamm, CEO of Springboard, added: “Hearing how the programme has changed the lives of participants - many of whom faced challenges such as mental or physical health conditions and the war in Ukraine - makes this achievement even more meaningful.

“Knowing we’ve been able to support the hospitality businesses we work with as they continue to face staffing challenges resulting from Brexit and COVID-19 is also incredibly positive - and we look forward to furthering this next year.”

By Matthew Neville – Correspondent, Bdaily