{
  "id": 14625159,
  "title": "UK hospitality sector to offer up to 100,000 jobs to young people out of work",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/14/uk-hospitality-sector-to-offer-up-to-100-000-jobs-to-young-people-out",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-14T21:30:13.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Guardian Business",
    "slug": "guardian-business",
    "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/oct/14/uk-hospitality-sector-100000-jobs-young-people-neets"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Restaurants and pubs in the United Kingdom, such as Nando’s and Fuller’s, are set to create up to 100,000 job placements for young people aged 18 to 24 who are not in employment, education or training. This initiative, backed by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), aims to provide a stepping stone for these individuals into the workforce. The move precedes the publication of a report on youth unemployment by former health secretary Alan Milburn, who warns that the number of Neets in the UK could rise to 1.25 million over the next five years without intervention. Hospitality businesses, including restaurant chains Wagamama, Nando’s and Burger King, hotel chain Premier Inn, and pub chains Fuller’s and Mitchells & Butlers, will offer Neets placements of up to four weeks to gain essential skills and confidence for their first job. This initiative, to be launched by Labour’s Work and Pensions Secretary Andy Burnham, follows a similar scheme announced last month for retailers like Marks & Spencer, Asda, Pets at Home, and the John Lewis Partnership. The scheme is expected to create 100,000 jobs for young people and connect them with employers eager to help them build a brighter future. The Education Secretary Lucy Powell is also set to announce a review of school exclusion changes, as research shows that students who are frequently absent from school are nearly four times more likely to become unemployed and not in education or training. Powell emphasized that absence and exclusion can often lead to disengagement and increased risks of becoming Neet. Milburn has called for a review of Britain's benefits system, including potential overhauls and the scrapping of a disability benefit for under-25s, in favor of a multi-billion-pound package to support job readiness. The government is considering budget cuts to the welfare bill, amid concerns about the impact of the Middle East war on public finances. The Conservative Party, led by Theresa May, has criticized the government's welfare spending and called for higher defense budgets.",
  "summary": "Restaurants and pubs such as Nando’s and Fuller’s will create placements for 18- to 24-year-olds under DWP-backed scheme Bars, clubs and restaurants will offer up to 100,000 jobs to young people not in employment, education or training (Neet) over the next three years in an effort to give them a first step on the ladder into work. The move comes before the publication of a report on Neets by the…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}