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DWP Press Release - 6 August 2008 - British holidays lead to new jobs on the coast

6 August 08 - British holidays lead to new jobs on the coast

A quarter of new jobs being created by hotel chain Travelodge in Britain's seaside towns will go to long-term benefit claimants thanks to the company's Local Employment Partnership (LEP) with Jobcentre Plus.

With more and more Brits choosing to holiday at home, Travelodge has committed to investing £150 million in 55 new seaside hotels between now and 2015 in a project that will help regenerate the UK's coastline. The hotel aims to recruit 25 per cent of its staff for the new hotels through the LEP.

Five new hotels will be opened in Blackpool, Weymouth, Newquay, Bournemouth and Scarborough in the next twelve months alone and the LEP means people who have previously been written off are given a fair chance at the jobs created in their communities.

Speaking at Travelodge's City Road Hotel in London, Stephen Timms, Minister for Employment and Welfare Reform, said:

"As our seaside towns become increasingly popular holiday destinations this is an excellent opportunity for many of those who have been written off in the past to share in the regeneration.

"LEPs are a great way to tap into local skills and talent to the benefit of whole communities. In June, for the first time since the programme began, more than 1,000 people were found work through LEPs in a single week and we are determined to build on this success.

"This investment by Travelodge will mean hundreds more people have the opportunity to work, learn new skills and contribute to Britain's growing tourism industry."

Chrissie Herbert, Director of HR and Quality Management at Travelodge, said:

"LEPs are a cost effective way for us to access potential new recruits for our hotels. We have found the scheme to be exceedingly productive, with 65 per cent of new staff at hotels where we have trialled the initiative coming from LEPs.

"I am delighted that we will be rolling the scheme out in all of our new costal hotels and am sure that amongst the recruits will be hotel managers of the future."

Notes to Editors

Local Employment Partnerships (LEPs) are based on a 'deal' with employers:
- The Government, through Jobcentre Plus, takes steps to understand employers' requirements and gets disadvantaged people ready for work;
- Employers with vacancies give people a fair shot at the job - through a range of measures which might include adjusting recruitment processes, offering work trials or guaranteed interviews, work placements, mentoring etc.
- As of the end of July 2008, more than 14,000 people have found work through LEPs with more than 2,000 employers
- To date, Travelodge has recruited 65% of its staff at new hotels through an LEP where it has trialled the scheme.
Jobcentre Plus, part of the Department for Work and Pensions, brings together employment and benefit services for people of working age and is a key element in the Government's objectives to help people based on 'Work for those who can, support for those who cannot'. It provides a professional and modern service to meet the diverse needs of employers and those seeking work. For further information on the services that Jobcentre Plus provides employers and people of working age visit www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk
Travelodge already has 30 hotels in coastal locations and plans to open, on average, one coastal hotel a month between now and 2015.
The latest domestic tourism figures show UK holiday breaks were up 13% in the first quarter of 2008. Figures from VisitBritain reveal one in three breaks by UK nationals are taken at the seaside creating a market of 25.5 million trips worth £5bn in revenue.

IRRV Alert August 2 2008

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DWP Press Release - 6 August 2008 - British holidays lead to new jobs on the coast

6 August 08 - British holidays lead to new jobs on the coast

Notes to Editors

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