French hotel group Accor has today pledged to double the number of its UK apprentices, bringing the total to 300 by the end of 2016.
Accor has hosted an Apprentice Day at its London training Académie with the aim of inspiring young people to begin a career within the hospitality industry and encourage them to consider an apprenticeship as a route into the sector.
As part of the event, attendees took part in ‘The Big Hospitality Conversation’, which will bring Accor apprentices and Accor business people together with young people, to have a conversation about the hospitality sector and apprenticeships.
Thomas Dubaere, managing director at Accor UK & Ireland said: “We believe in the value of apprenticeships, which is why we are committed to growing the number that we have in the UK.
“One of the biggest challenges we face in the UK is that young people aren’t always aware of what careers are available to them and there is a myth that apprenticeships are not a viable route into a career.
“I believe that apprenticeships are vital as they offer young people an alternative to further education, allowing them to earn whilst they learn and helping them to reach their career goals. Through our conversations today, we hope to educate and share experiences between some potential apprentices and our current apprentices.”
Accor has provided apprenticeships in the UK for the past 10 years and during that time over 500 have completed their training. Since 2012 Accor has invested £2.5m in training and development in the UK and currently employs 150 apprentices, and offers 300 work placements each year.