PizzaExpress has announced plans to recruit 2,500 people in the UK over the next five years as part of its expansion programme, which will see c20 new restaurant openings a year.
The 448-strong company has also outlined plans to grow its apprenticeship scheme with an ambition to have at least one apprentice in each of its restaurants.
Since its launch in 2013, PizzaExpress has recruited 377 people onto its apprenticeship scheme. The 12-month programme was created by PizzaExpress, along with vocational education specialists Lifetime Training and City & Guilds.
Apprenticeships are available across four areas: Kitchen Services, Food & Beverage, Supervisor, and Hospitality Supervision and Leadership. Recruits can gain a Level 2 qualification, which is the equivalent of five GCSEs at grade A-C, or Level 3 which is equivalent to two A-Levels. Learning involves face-to-face tuition and guidance from onsite mentors, development workshops and master classes.
PizzaExpress, which this year celebrates its 50th anniversary, currently employs 10,000 people in the UK.
Chancellor George Osborne said: “The expansion of a great British brand like Pizza Express means thousands of new jobs and hundreds of new apprenticeships up and down the country.
“Since 2010, two million young people have taken up an apprenticeship. By abolishing the jobs tax on young apprentices, we are helping businesses to create even more of these opportunities, as part of our plan to deliver three million more apprenticeships by the end of the next Parliament - and abolish long-term youth unemployment.
“This is our long term economic plan in action - supporting businesses that give young people a chance to get on.”
Richard Hodgson, PizzaExpress chief executive, said: “PizzaExpress has been at the forefront of the restaurant industry for 50 years and as such we have a responsibility to invest in the future of the sector. This means investing in people, creating new opportunities and giving our teams a reason to feel good about what they do, and the valuable contribution they make.”
