Jurys Inns flooded by job seekers from recession-hit sectors

Hotel group Jurys Inns has revealed it is receiving as many as 100 job applications for some vacancies as candidates from a variety of sectors such as banking, recruitment, retail and even the army look to switch to hospitality.

With 16,500 fewer graduate job opportunities this year and sectors like banking expected to shrink by up to 28%, traditional sectors like hospitality are expected to have opportunities to fill skills gaps.

Jurys Inns hopes to recruit 800 jobs, including 100 management positions, as part of its plan to open 10 new hotels England, Scotland and Wales, and a property in Prague. It has already been inundated with applications from a variety of candidates.

John Brennan, acting chief executive, said the hotel group wants to attract “talented people who normally don’t think about hospitality”.

“The changing labour market can turn a new generation on to career opportunities in the hospitality sector that for too long have been ignored and looked down on,” he said. 

“We are also seeing a trend in people switching from office jobs to more rewarding, people businesses like hospitality.”

Jurys Inns, which expects to announce a full-time chief executive in the coming weeks, has also vowed to recruit up to 200 jobs from long term unemployed workers as part of the Government’s Local Employment Partnership scheme.

The company opened a 216-bedroom, £16.5 million hotel minutes from Watford Junction train station in Hertfordshire last Friday (27 March). The opening, which created 45 jobs in total, saw five go to long-term unemployed through the company’s tie up with JobCentre Plus.

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By Daniel Thomas

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