The new Travelodge flagship opening in London, Southwark this week will see nearly three quarters of its staff recruited from the Capital's long term unemployed. Thirty one of the 50 staff have filled housekeeping, reception and bar caf roles having the chance to progress onto the Travelodge Management Development Programme within the next 24 months.
The new Government backed scheme ran by employment agency, Job Centre Plus was first trialled in London by the budget hotel giant back in October last year. The scheme was designed to get the most needy unemployed back to work - most candidates are out of work from 18 months to two years.
Travelodge CEO, Grant Hearn said: "Our purpose at Travelodge is to make hotels available to everyone and that means jobs too. We plan to open a hotel every six working days in UK for many years to come, creating over 10, 000 new jobs. If this scheme means we can give opportunity to those that struggle to gain employment then our unprecedented growth plan will prove to be even more successful."
The budget hotel chain has recently pledged that 25% of all new recruits will come from the Job Centre Plus scheme once the project is nationwide. Travelodge aims to open up to 700 new hotels over the next decade creating well over 10, 000 UK jobs. Openings this year include Edinburgh, London, Brighton, Blackpool and Birmingham.
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For further information please contact:
Shula Gillam, PR Executive
T: 01844 358703
M: 07824 491 224
E: shula.gillam@travelodge.co.uk
Notes to Editors
About Travelodge
The first budget hotel brand to launch in the UK in 1985, Travelodge now operates 332 hotels (over 20,000 rooms)- nine in Ireland, three in Spain and the rest in the UK. Travelodge plans to grow its estate to 70,000 rooms (approximately 1000 hotels) by 2020.
Six and a half million people stayed with Travelodge last year and 87% of reservations are currently made online at travelodge.co.uk. The chain employs 5,000 staff and is owned by Dubai International Capital, who acquired the organisation from Permira in 2006. In April 2007, Travelodge announced the first stage of a new online retail strategy when it became the first UK hotel company to launch a Travel Insurance product.