Hospitality businesses are being asked to offer six-month placements to young people aged 14 to 17...
A new jobs platform has launched to help teenagers across Greater Manchester and Salford gain their first experience of paid work in hospitality.
Called Lenny, it connects hospitality businesses with young people aged 14 to 17, with participating operators asked to offer six-month placements involving shifts of between two and four hours.
The scheme was founded by Charlotte Heyes, co-founder of Nell’s Pizza, and named after her 14-year-old son, Lenny.
Heyes said the idea was inspired by watching the effect that regular Saturday shifts at Nell’s in Chorlton had on her son.
“I watched my son go from a typical, fairly quiet teenager, into someone who got up every Saturday and went to work, on time, with a smile on his face,” she said. “As the weeks went on, he grew in confidence, maturity and independence.
“That’s what a first job does. It’s not really about the money, it’s about a young person discovering they’re capable. We built Lenny because too many kids in this city are never going to get that chance unless businesses like ours make space for it.”
Maray, The Alchemist, Burgerism and Dakota Hotels are among the first hospitality businesses to sign up.
The platform has been developed with Candid Hospitality, which will manage the matching and onboarding process. Guidance created with legal, technology and training specialists will also help operators understand the requirements around employing people under 18.
The launch follows the publication of the government’s Milburn Review into youth unemployment, which found that hospitality vacancies had fallen by around half over four years. The review also highlighted a decline in entry-level roles and early work experience opportunities.
Businesses joining Lenny will be expected to follow their usual recruitment, probation and disciplinary processes, giving participants experience of a genuine workplace rather than a short-term or token placement.
Nick Holroyd-Doveton, co-founder of Candid Hospitality, said: “As a father of three, Charlotte’s concept hit home immediately. Hospitality is the perfect place for teenagers to get their first taste of paid work.
“The matchmaking technology already existed within Candid, so building Lenny simply meant a serious focus on safeguarding and much less on previous work experience. By matching on values and availability, and removing CVs entirely, we’ve stripped out most of the friction.
“Hospitality gave so many of us our start. This is our chance to pay it forward.”
Hospitality businesses across Greater Manchester and Salford can create a free profile and register placements through hellolenny.co.uk.
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