Premier Inn opens doors to training hotel to help young people check in to employment
A three-bedroom Premier Inn training centre has launched at Hereward College in Coventry with the aim of helping young people with additional needs get into work.
The little Premier Inn is a partnership project between Premier Inn and Hereward College, a national further educational college specialising in skills training for independent living and employment for young people with disabilities and additional needs.
The mini-hotel, which will not take paying guests, is a state-of-the-art training facility and will be used for young people to learn skills in the hospitality industry.
Built by Novus Property Solutions, the company responsible for refurbishing hundreds of Premier Inn hotels across the country, it is an exact replica of a Premier Inn.
From guest relations to housekeeping, the facility will enable young people to learn about areas of hospitality in a realistic hotel environment.
Those taking part in the programme will also have the opportunity to undertake supported internships and the ambition is for them to go on to paid employment in Premier Inn hotels across the country.
Premier Inn managing director Simon Ewins said: “If you think of the average Premier Inn guest – there isn’t one. We welcome people from all walks of life, and from every corner of the world. It is only right our workforce reflects this. Diversity is at the core of our people plan and we continue our focus on becoming the most inclusive hospitality business. We recognise that a diverse and inclusive culture brings significant business benefits and ultimately leads to better business performance.”
The venture follows on from an industry-first partnership between Premier Inn and Derwen College, a residential educational facility for young people with learning difficulties based in Shropshire. It is part of owner Whitbread’s Force For Good programme, which amongst other things, supports the employment of under-represented groups.
Almost half of the students who have trained at Derwen have gone on to be directly employed by Premier Inn since the partnership launched back in 2013.
Paul Cook, principal at Hereward College said: “We are delighted to be working with Premier Inn, who support our ambition to become a centre of excellence in hospitality training and get more people with disabilities into meaningful employment.
“The new training facility will mean that students will be able to gain work experience, learn specific job roles and gain confidence before stepping into the workplace.”
Alan Nixon, CEO at Novus Property Solutions, added: “Through our partnerships with major clients such as Whitbread we’ve delivered a range of social value projects that have lasting impacts in the towns and communities where we work. The facility here at Hereward College will provide a fantastic opportunity for people living with disabilities and additional needs to gain real skills to support their futures.”
