Young people should see bar jobs as important as university degrees, says Greene King boss

Young people must stop turning their noses up at working in bars to help ease the jobs crisis, according to a report backed by ministers.

Greene King has called for training in bar and restaurant skills to be given an equal footing to university degrees in career advice as the hospitality industry struggles with record job vacancies.

A survey of almost 2,000 young people commissioned by the pub chain found that nearly half think that the hospitality sector does not offer good career development opportunities, while a fifth believe that a career in hospitality is viewed negatively by society.

It also found that three in five young people do not believe there are enough promising job opportunities in their area.

Greene King will pledge to challenge such “misconceptions” on Wednesday as it launches a report on how pubs can “untap potential” to fill job vacancies, provide training and support communities.

Neil O’Brien, the minister for levelling up, and Robert Halfon, the Conservative MP and chairman of the education select committee are among politicians backing the initiative.

Mr O’Brien said: “Pubs are the lifeblood of our communities, providing a key hub for relaxing, socialising and working and Greene King’s report and commitments are an amazing example of levelling up in action.”

The report is due to be launched by Nadhim Zahawi, the Education Secretary, at a reception in Parliament on Wednesday.

Changing the perception of hospitality work

Greene King, which employs 39,000 people, has around 3,000 job vacancies, of which 650 are for apprentices. It has pledged to take on 5,000 apprentices and 300 prison leavers by 2025, with opportunities across the country to work in its pubs, hotels, offices, breweries and depots.

Nick Mackenzie, chief executive of Greene King, said: “We need to change how people perceive jobs in hospitality. It is incredibly disheartening to see that nearly half of young people don’t view hospitality as offering them good career development opportunities.”

He told The Telegraph that pursuing a career in bars and restaurants should be regarded as highly as training in STEM [science, technology, engineering and maths-related] skills.

He said that while young people can “start off at a very low level in hospitality, doing an important job, but one that might not be classed on the same level as an engineering apprenticeship...actually over time, your ability to progress to much more senior levels [in hospitality] is second to none in terms of what industries can deliver”.

‘It’s a great industry to be in’

Apprentices who make it to general manager of a pub within two to three years are able to earn up to £50,000 a year, Mr Mackenzie said.

He added: “For kids who want to be sociable, who are certainly interested in serving customers...I think it’s a great industry to be in. If you want flexibility rather than a more focused route that some degrees or some university routes might offer you then try out hospitality and try pubs because they’re great.”

Robert Halfon, the Conservative MP and chairman of the education select committee, said: “As the Government pushes forward with its levelling up ambitions, I believe that apprenticeships have an essential role to play.

“Not only do they allow young people the chance to earn while they learn, but they often lead to full-time jobs within the same company and give apprentices the training they need to progress in their careers.”

Staff shortages in the hospitality industry are causing nearly half of operators to cut trading hours or capacity in order to cope, according to a survey published this month by industry groups including UKHospitality and the British Beer and Pub Association. There are a record 174,000 vacancies in the sector, according to official figures.

Mr Mackenzie said it was harder to fill vacances after Brexit and the pandemic. “We certainly have a smaller employee base or potential employee base to work from, and that’s why we’re working so hard to get people in and retain them.”