Whitbread Expands Inclusive Employment Program to Liverpool
Whitbread, the parent company of Premier Inn, has expanded its Thrive program to the Liverpool City Region. The initiative aims to increase employment for young people with special educational needs and disabilities.
Whitbread, the UK's largest hospitality company and owner of Premier Inn, has extended its "Thrive" program to the Liverpool City Region. This employer-led initiative aims to address the employment gap for young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
The expansion includes a new training facility, a mini-Premier Inn, at Wirral Met College. This facility provides students with hands-on experience in hospitality roles within a realistic hotel environment.
With only 4.8% of people with learning difficulties in paid employment, the Thrive program offers a scalable model for businesses to help close the disability employment gap. Whitbread's ambition is to create 100 supported internships annually for individuals from special educational needs establishments.
The program is expected to support an additional 36 students per year in the Liverpool City Region. Many participants are anticipated to progress into supported internships or permanent roles after completing the training.