HospitalityUnite backs Kickstart initiative

HospitalityUnite, an initiative set up to help hospitality workers find alternative employment during lockdown, has teamed up with UKHospitality, Springboard, The Scottish Tourism Alliance and The Youth Group to back the Government’s Kickstart scheme. It will provide a free online service to make it easy for both hospitality businesses and 16-24 year-olds looking for a career in hospitality to take advantage of the Government funded scheme. It comes as the Government is putting £2bn into the Kickstart programme which will fund six months of 25 hours a week work at national minimum wage for 16-24 year olds, giving them a ‘kickstart’ into their working lives. Only Government approved candidates can apply to Kickstart roles, and these candidates are being directed to HospitalityUnite jobs through The Youth Group and its partnership with the Department of Work and Pensions assessors. The original HospitalityUnite jobs portal was created in March by Harri, an online people management platform. This new initiative has already secured commitment from several hospitality groups, including BrewDog, Burger King UK and The Ivy Collection, and now expects more than 200 businesses to sign up. Companies taking part will receive exclusive access to approved candidates, as well as free use of the hiring platform to post jobs, screen candidates, conduct video interviewing and send offer letters. Free employability training will also be available. Harri director Pete Willis said: “The need for homegrown talent in hospitality will be vital through the course of 2021. Brexit barriers to entry for ‘unskilled’ workers post 1st January will make these Kickstart applicants all the more crucial to the industry’s revival. “We welcome all operators throughout hospitality and tourism to join the HospitalityUnite Kickstart initiative, which in partnership with The Youth Group, will seamlessly process your Government application on your behalf again at no charge.” Kate Nicholls, CEO of UKHospitality, said: “This is a really positive way of promoting the Government’s Kickstart programme, set up to assist sectors like ours. We know from experience that hospitality benefits hugely from the enthusiasm, talents and innovation of young people in its workforce. “As hospitality embarks on a journey of recovery after the impacts of the Covid crisis, those attributes will be more valuable than ever, and the portal will be a great access point for people looking to break into exciting hospitality careers.” Jack Parsons, CEO of The Youth Group and the UK’s chief youth officer, said: "A Government initiative like the Kickstart scheme excites me because it will really support our youth. “It's so important that we change the narrative when it comes to hospitality jobs because like any industry there are some real success stories in growing a career in hospitality.”