Marriott’s commitment to assist Europe’s unemployed and disadvantaged youth takes a step forward this month with the announcement of its ambitious goals for its World of Opportunity1 programme in Europe.
Marriott’s aim is to create 20,000 career opportunities for young people aged 16-25 by the year 2020. That means 20,000 young people receiving a range of placements, apprenticeships, training and development courses offered by one of the world’s largest and diverse hotel groups. Marriott Europe has so far provided almost 4,000 employment opportunities to young people since 2012 and its goal is now is to increase that number five-fold over the next five years.
The company is already engaged with charitable partners, The Prince’s Trust and SOS Children’s Villages – both experienced charities in the field of youth support and employment – and it is with their advice and collaboration that enables commitment to this ambitious goal. Since Marriott started its World of Opportunity programme in 2012, it has donated more than €930,000 cash and €490,000 in-kind to its charitable partners along with 27,000 volunteer hours.
Crucially, Marriott’s career opportunities are as open to disadvantaged youths as they are to those who complete higher education and university graduates. The group is committed to finding and nourishing talents from a swathe of Europe’s youth. According to figures from the European Commission, five million young people are unemployed across EU countries and one of the key factors highlighted for this growing problem is a ‘skills mismatch’.
“As a hotel group, we depend on talented people in order to survive,” says Amy McPherson, president and managing director, Marriott International Europe “Hotels are a people business, and although technology and mobile connectivity have enhanced the industry, it will, at its heart, always remain a people business. It has been extraordinary to watch the progress and commitment of these young people rise up through the ranks of our company, and seeing them enjoy a huge sense of pride and ambition. It also makes a significant difference to the success of the company.”
Marriott’s vision is also good for business; it offers a committed forward-thinking business goal that will benefit the organisation as much as it will young people. The group has real, long-term job opportunities to offer alongside internships and development courses so the aim is to put young people into meaningful, long-lasting employment.
Because of the diversity of its operations and the flexibility to move staff around departments, the hotel business is uniquely placed to provide the opportunities young people need, whatever suits their personalities and talents: front of house, back of house, technology, catering, food and beverage, marketing, and so on. All it takes is the right “can-do” attitude on the part of the candidate, and a willingness to commit to an exciting, constantly changing business.
In the same month that the group is named one of the UK’s top employers in the prestigious Sunday Times 100 Best Companies To Work For and Best Employer from a survey conducted by Germany’s Focus Magazine, it aims to build on that reputation by tapping into Europe’s most precious and under-used resource: its young people.
Links to stats:
EU Commission: http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1036
Government Youth Unemployment (issued Jan 2015): http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/research/briefing-papers/SN05871/youth-unemployment-statistics
1World of Opportunity is Marriott’s commitment to addressing youth unemployment including young people from disadvantaged backgrounds – enabling them to reach their full potential by providing employment skills training and vocational opportunities.
