Greene King sets out plan to improve social mobility

Greene King has launched a plan to improve social mobility and create opportunities for individuals from all backgrounds in the hospitality sector.

In its Stepping Up Report, Greene King has issued a call for action for the government and wider industry to do its part, alongside setting out five ambitions of its own to improve social mobility.

The report calls for the government to focus on the following:

• Provide greater support in promoting hospitality as a skilled profession and valued career route within national careers guidance;
• Recognise the importance of social mobility as a cross-government priority by appointing a cabinet office minister with specific responsibility for social mobility;
• Encourage the Social Mobility Commission to work with businesses to identify a metric by which companies can declare levels of social mobility annually, and consequently be held publicly accountable for;
• Continue to champion apprenticeships and ensure that new T Levels are designed to complement and enhance - rather than replace or duplicate - existing programmes;
• Redistribute unused company Apprenticeship Levy funds to those employers with capacity to deliver further quality apprenticeships, including the option to pay 10% via in-kind contributions after levy funds have been spent;
• Encourage devolved governments to move quickly in transitioning to Apprenticeship Standards in line with England, to allow companies to fully draw down on Apprenticeship Levy funds and ensure a level playing field for young people across the UK;
• Ensure that the hospitality sector retains access to the people and skills it requires, building a future immigration policy that meets the needs of the industry;
• Back the hospitality industry in its ambition to help ex-offenders return to the workplace.

Meanwhile, Greene King's five ambitions, set out in the report, are:

1. Releasing Potential: a new employment programme for ex-offenders. Working with the Ministry of Justice, the charity Only A Pavement Away and partners Novus, Clean Sheet and Sodexo, Greene King has pledged to support 50 individuals in the first year - initially working with prisons in the North West and London;
2. A new commitment to support 20,000 apprentices by 2022;
3. The first hospitality company to become a signatory to Business in the Community's Race at Work Charter. This will see the appointment of an executive sponsor for race, working towards the capturing of ethnicity data and acting to support the career progression of ethnic minorities;
4. Pledge to increase internal appointments to pub general manager from 64% to 80%;
5. Extending the company's partnership with the Prince's Trust for a fourth year with a target to increase the number of people being offered a permanent role after successful completion of the 'Get Into Hospitality' programme from 61% to 75%.

Rooney Anand, chief executive of Greene King (pictured), said: "We've witnessed the hospitality industry's ability to propel social mobility time and time again. Starting and growing careers from the pub floor to senior leadership, our industry backs individuals from all walks of life, offering folks the chance to turn a short-term shift into a life-long career and improve their and their family's standard of living.

"Of course, promoting and engendering social mobility isn't easy and there's no magic formula - it needs commitment and effort and we all need to play our part, but I hope that through sharing our efforts, we can encourage others in hospitality to help the cause, step up to the challenge and help make a real difference."

Education secretary Damian Hinds said: "Alongside the government's work to transform technical education and promote apprenticeships through our new 'Fire it up' campaign, businesses like Greene King are playing a critical role in promoting social mobility. This scheme is supporting in-house training, offering apprenticeships and helping ex-offenders get back into work, making sure people have skills and qualifications needed for success."

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