Travelodge unveils first budget hotel Apprenticeship

The UK’s first budget hotel management Apprenticeship has been announced by accommodation giant Travelodge.

The new scheme, Junior Management Programme (JuMP), will create 500 management Apprenticeships – 50 of which Travelodge is seeking to assign this summer.

It has been developed to support Travelodge’s aggressive growth strategy, which will see the group more than double its estate from 466 hotels and 32,477 rooms to 1100 hotels and 100,000 rooms by 2025.

Travelodge CEO Guy Parsons said: “Our nationwide JuMP programme offers school leavers an alternative career choice, to going to university.

“The fast track management programme provides a real job, with the opportunity of on the job training throughout the business, combined with further education and the opportunity to earn up to £30,000. In contrast to going to university and graduating with a debt of £43,224 and facing an over crowded jobs market.”

Mr Parsons added that 45 per cent of Travelodge’s planned new hotels will be managed by its apprentices by 2015.

Skills Minister John Hayes commented: “Apprenticeships are a great way or young people to get the training they need to build successful careers, and for businesses to train a new generation of employees with the skills that drive growth.

“I applaud Travelodge for its commitment to apprenticeships; and with additional funding of £180m in this budget alone, this government is enabling more employers to follow its lead.”
Travelodge, which currently employs more than 6000 staff, was the first budget hotel brand to launch in the UK in 1985.

Mark Astley