Novus supports Whitbread's new national college partnerships

We are proud to be supporting our longstanding client, hospitality company Whitbread, as it reveals brand new national further education college partnerships to help young people with additional needs learn new skills and get into work.

The Premier Inn owner is delighted to reveal it is partnering with The Liverpool City Region and Lincolnshire County Council as part of its Thrive programme. Thrive is an acceleration of its longstanding work with Derwen and Hereward specialist colleges supporting young people with special educational needs and learning disabilities.

Our team has assisted the programme through creating replica bedrooms and laundry rooms. These spaces allow the young people to practice the skills needed to work in a mini Premier Inn hotel.

The new partnerships will help scores of young learners nation-wide and puts Whitbread firmly on the path to achieving its ambition to get 100 supported interns into paid employment from special needs educational establishments every year.

In the Liverpool City Region, the partnership will eventually support six local authorities, including The Wirral, City of Liverpool, St Helens, Knowsley, Sefton and Halton. Liverpool City College and Wirral MET College will be the initial educational partners.

In Lincolnshire the partnership will support the council’s Young People’s Learning Provision, which works with schools across the county.

The partnerships will see students learning about all areas of hospitality through work experience and supported internships under the guidance of their job coaches with the chance to move into paid employment with Premier Inn. Skills include different aspects of working in hotels from guest relations and housekeeping – which also support the students to live independent lives and enhance their social skills and confidence, including by working on curriculum and being part of the Premier Inn team.

Fittingly, the announcement was revealed at existing partner Hereward College in Coventry, as four hospitality students celebrated their graduation as interns, with permanent employment secured with Premier Inn. It is the success of this existing partnership – and Derwen College, based in Oswestry – that has inspired the acceleration of the scheme.

Thrive is part of Whitbread’s Force for Good commitment to help people live and work well.

As an inclusive employer Whitbread is committed to supporting all its colleagues, including those from under-represented groups such as those with disabilities, people who are ethnically diverse and those who identify as gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, trans sexual, non-binary or use another term.

If you are an educational institution or local authority and are interested in exploring this opportunity, find out more and submit an expression of interest via the Thrive page of the Whitbread website. Thrive Programme – Whitbread PLC

For more information about our commitment to social value visit: https://www.novussolutions.co.uk/about/.