The number of jobs pledged by companies to unemployed young Londoners trained by our upskilling campaign has passed 300, with Nando’s the latest employer to offer its backing.
The pledge by Nando’s to offer at least 10 jobs to trainees means that more than 300 jobless young Londoners will be given a life-changing chance to grasp the first rung of the career ladder.
Seven months ago, when we launched our £1m Skill Up Step Up campaign in partnership with Barclays Lifeskills, we reported that youth unemployment in the capital had soared 55 per cent since the start of the pandemic to 105,000, despite more than 1.2 million job vacancies countrywide.
Youth unemployment in the capital has since fallen to 88,700, according to the latest figures by the Office for National Statistics.
But the problem remains the stark gap between the skills demanded by these employers and that offered by job hunters, which is what our campaign seeks to remedy by partnering with five charities, including 2020 Change and Springboard, to upskill jobless youth.
Rob Bray, Nando’s UK and Ireland people director, said: “We are proud to offer an initial 10 jobs via the Skill Up Step Up campaign with a view to offering more as the campaign progresses.
“At Nando’s we have always believed that everyone is welcome, and helping young people from diverse backgrounds get their start in hospitality is important to helping us thrive.
“We look forward to continuing our work with both Springboard and 2020 Change, while forging new relationships with the other campaign partners.”
Duro Oye, chief executive of 2020 Change, said: “With Nando’s pledging jobs for candidates from our I Am Change programme, this will see even more young people from diverse backgrounds jump-start their careers in the hospitality industry.”
Employers that have pledged jobs so far include Wagamama, Ottolenghi, the Hilton group and Compass Group, which operates catering facilities at London venues such as Chelsea FC and The O2.
How can employers help? We want companies – large, medium and small – to step up to the plate with a pledge to employ one or more trainees in a job or apprenticeship.
They could work in your IT, customer service, human resources, marketing or sales departments, or any department with entry-level positions.
You will be provided with a shortlist of suitable candidates to interview. To get the ball rolling, contact the London Community Foundation, which is managing the process, on: Skillup@londoncf.org.uk
