UKHospitality, in partnership with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), has announced which areas will be running the SWAPs programme, to help people into jobs in hospitality and provide them with a Hospitality Skills Passport.
The new programme trains jobseekers with hospitality skills in a working environment and provides them with both work experience and a guaranteed interview with a choice of employers. The companies, operating both nationally and locally, are working with Jobcentre Plus and local training providers.
Successful participants will also receive a new Hospitality Skills Passport, an innovative, digital transferable award that demonstrates competence and qualifications. The passport is certified by OCN London, an awarding organisation, and accredited by UKHospitality, the sector’s leading trade body.
The areas set to benefit from the hospitality SWAP programme are:
- East: Great Yarmouth, Norwich, Skegness, Suffolk.
- Midlands: Birmingham, Coventry.
- North: Blackpool, Cumbria, Liverpool, Manchester, Scarborough.
- South East: Banbury, Bournemouth, East Kent, Guildford, Gravesham, London, Mid Kent, Milton Keynes, North Kent, Reading, Worthing.
- South West: Exeter, Solent, Torbay, Truro & Penwith.
Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UKHospitality, said: “This is an incredibly exciting programme that we’re leading, in partnership with DWP, and it is proven to deliver tangible benefits for both jobseekers and hospitality businesses.
“The programme’s delivery of a Hospitality Skills Passport is critical in providing recruits with a way to demonstrate their qualifications and avoid duplication of training for employers.”
Alison McGovern MP, Minister for Employment, commented: “SWAPs are a key part of our mission to keep people in better paid jobs for longer, putting more money in their pockets – and are a proven success in transforming people’s lives.
“Alongside this, we have committed to delivering 100,000 new SWAP places next year, as we Get Britain Working as part of our Plan for Change.”
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