School leavers told pulling pints is no bar to a fulfilling career

YOUNG Britons must stop turning their noses up at bar jobs to help ease the crisis afflicting the hospitality sector, a report backed by ministers claims.

A brewery and pub chain has called for training in bar and restaurant skills to be given the same status as university degrees as the hospitality sector struggles to fill record job vacancies.

It intervened as nearly half of almost 2,000 young people questioned for a survey commissioned by the company – Greene King – said that the hospitality sector did not offer good career development opportunities, while a fifth believed that a career in hospitality was viewed negatively by society. The survey, to be launched by Nadim Zahawi, the Education Secretary, at a reception in Parliament today, also found that three in five young people do not believe there are enough promising job opportunities in their area.

The company will pledge to challenge such “misconceptions” today as it launches a report on how pubs can “untap potential” to fill vacancies, provide training and support communities.

Neil O’brien, the minister for levelling up, and Robert Halfon, the Conservative MP and chairman of the Commons education select committee, are among politicians backing the initiative. Mr O’brien said: “Pubs are the lifeblood of our communities, providing a key hub for relaxing, socialising and working and Greene King’s report and commitments are an amazing example of levelling up in action.”

The company, which is based in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, employs 39,000 people and has 3,000 job vacancies – 650 for apprentices. It has pledged to take on 5,000 apprentices and 300 prison leavers by 2025, and offer opportunities to work in its UK pubs, hotels, offices, breweries and depots.

Nick Mackenzie, its chief executive, said: “We need to change how people perceive jobs in hospitality. It is incredibly disheartening to see that nearly half of young people don’t view hospitality as offering them good career development opportunities.”

He said that pursuing a career in bars and restaurants should be regarded as highly as training in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathsrelated) skills. He said that while young people may “start off at a very low level in hospitality, doing an important job, but one that might not be classed on the same level as an engineering apprenticeship ... over time, [the] ability to progress to more senior levels [in hospitality] is second to none.”

Apprentices who become pub general managers in two to three years can earn up to £50,000 per year, he added.

“For kids who want to be sociable, who are certainly interested in serving customers, I think it’s a great industry to be in. If you want flexibility rather than a more focused route that some degrees or university routes might offer you then try out hospitality and try pubs.”

Mr Halfon said: “As the Government pushes forward with its levelling-up ambitions, I believe that apprenticeships have an essential role to play.

“Not only do they allow young people the chance to earn while they learn, but they often lead to full-time jobs … and give apprentices the training they need to progress in their careers.”

A record 174,000 vacancies in the hospitality sector are causing nearly half of operators to reduce trading hours or capacity, industry groups such as Ukhospitality have said.