Travelodge to recruit 2,500 jobseekers

Travelodge has announced plans to help recruit up to 2,500 long-term unemployed as part of a new government skills blueprint for London.

The announcement came as chief executive Grant Hearn joined Mayor of London Ken Livingstone to launch the London Skills and Employment Board’s (LSEB) new plan, which is backed by a £560m skills budget. 

The company plans to open 500 hotels across the UK by 2020 - 225 hotels in London – a target that will see the recruitment of 10,000 new jobs nationwide and up to a quarter of these could come from long-term unemployed.

Following a pilot at the City Road Travelodge, the hotel chain is working closely with Job CentrePlus at its Euston and Southwark hotels to run pre-employment training schemes

Hearn said: “We have a collective responsibility as London employers to help the more disadvantaged people in our communities find work - this proposal is a crucial step toward achieving that goal and reducing unemployment in the capital.

“I passionately endorse the London Skills & Employment Board’s proposed Skills blueprint and its call to all employers to help unlock the talent hidden away in their communities.”

Next year, Travelodge managers across England, Wales and Scotland will enter ‘Local Employment Partnerships’ with their relevant JobCentre Plus offices to support nationwide efforts getting claimants back into work.

Travelodge commits to helping long-term jobseekers >> 

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By Daniel Thomas

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