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Hospitality industry to create 6,000 jobs for young people by Christmas

Published:  25 September, 2014

The British hospitality industry will create 6,000 new jobs for 16 to 24 year olds by the end of the year, says the industry's trade association.

The British hospitality industry will create 6,000 new jobs for 16 to 24 year olds by the end of the year, says the industry's trade association.

The British Hospitality Association said around 900,000 young people are not in education, employment or training and experts say the problem is not improving fast enough.

Eating outThe BHA says there are 6,000 jobs for young people in the indsutrySource: Mitchells & ButlersA total of 6,000 of these need filled by the end of 2015, the BHA says, with more to follow. The industry has faced challenges in recruitment, as young people fail to consider it as a career.

The industry has 300,000 jobs that need to be filled by 2020 as a result of rapid expansion and market demand. A total of 60,000 of these are earmarked for 16-24 year olds.

Despite many young people being out of work, there are thousands of job vacancies in the hospitality industry. Experts are concerned that young people are failing to consider hospitality as a career.

Think tank IPPR conducted a study which showed a mismatch between the types of jobs young people are training for compared to those available - which is a major barrier in the youth unemployment problem.

Brian Turner CBE, one of Britain's best known chefs, started work in his father's transport cafe then went on to train at Simpson's in the Strand, The Savoy, The Beau Rivage in Lausanne and Claridge's, before opening his own restaurants. "Starting out as a young trainee and learning the ropes from people full of experience is a fantastic way to start your career and it's a real gateway to the world," he said.

Ufi Ibrahim, chief executive of the BHA, said: "Hospitality is a successful industry with even greater growth prospects offering a vast range of job opportunities for all job seekers of any age. However, there are still widespread misconceptions amongst many outside the industry who don't see the value in hospitality careers. We urge young people to look beyond outdated viewpoints and join our industry. The breadth of job roles and the training available means that bright and focused young people can succeed very quickly."

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