25th Jun 2009 - 00:00
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People 1st and Jobcentre Plus have announced an agreement that will give businesses access to pre-trained job seekers looking for work in the hospitality sector.
This means that employers can tap into a pool of new talent that has completed pre-employment training in key areas including food safety, customer service and health and safety. The pre-employment training programme, developed by People 1st, comprises an intensive two-week training course aimed at providing new entrants into hospitality or those changing careers with relevant industry knowledge and skills and the confidence they need to quickly adjust to their chosen role. Under the agreement with Jobcentre Plus, all job seekers who complete the pre-employment training course will be registered on www.uksp.co.uk. The website will give users a whole host of information including career maps, guides to the best employers and qualification providers. Job seekers can also upload their CVs onto the UKSP site so employers can search for candidates. Sharon Glancy, business solutions director at People 1st said: "The initiative should be of enormous benefit to the hospitality and travel industry. Both UKSP and our pre-employment skills package are fantastic tools for preparing individuals to enter the sector and providing employers with access to an increased pool of fresh talent." She added that the agreement is the start of ongoing discussions with Jobcentre Plus to actively promote the hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism sector as one offering a significant opportunity for employment over the coming years. Total employment in the sector is forecast to grow by nearly 10% - 208,000 additional jobs by 2017.