Whitbread, the UK’s largest hospitality company and owner of Premier Inn, has expanded its Thrive programme—a pioneering, employer-led initiative supporting young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) into work—into the Liverpool City Region.
Wirral Met College has a mini-Premier Inn Training Facility, which allows students to gain practical experience in hospitality.
Completely indistinguishable from a regular hotel, right down to ‘do not disturb’ signs on the doors and the tea and coffee making facilities Premier Inn guests are familiar with, it features three en-suite bedrooms, a reception desk, corridor and linen room.
Thrive provides a scalable and practical model to businesses on how they can close the disability gap. With only 4,8% of people with disabilities in paid employment, Thrive helps them help reduce this employment gap. Whitbread is now on track to achieve its goal of 100 paid internships for special needs education establishments every year.
We’re thrilled to be bringing Thrive to Liverpool City Region. Thrive demonstrates how business can take the lead to make jobs more accessible for all. We believe that there should be no entry barriers and no limits on ambition. Thrive shows how the private sector can meet the moment: It’s not just a corporate initiative—it’s a real-world demonstration of how inclusive employment can work at scale. Huge thanks to everyone who have worked so hard on this project, in particular CLC Group and Holden & Lee who have made the build a reality. Simon Ewins, Managing Director of Premier Inn UK Hotels & Restaurants
I am delighted that a company of such size as Whitbread is finding new and innovative ways to close the gap in employment for people with disabilities. Alongside our historic £1 billion investment in disability employment support, programmes such as Thrive show that together, business and government can break down barriers and give disabled people the opportunities they deserve. Stephen Timms is the Minister of Social Security and Disability
The program is expected to support 36 additional students in Liverpool City Region annually, many of whom will progress into supported internships and permanent roles.
Wirral Met College is thrilled to partner with Whitbread in bringing the Thrive program to the Liverpool City Region. This partnership between education and industry offers young people with SEND an opportunity to gain practical, real-world experience in a safe, supportive and valued environment. The Conway Park Campus has a Premier Inn on-site training facility that is fully equipped. This will help students gain the confidence they need to move forward in their career. This is an important step in creating a future that’s more inclusive for all. Gill Banks, Principal of Wirral Met College
As the Government seeks to reduce economic inactivity and improve employment outcomes for disabled people, Thrive aligns with national ambitions and demonstrates how inclusive employment can be both socially impactful and commercially viable — offering a model that other businesses can learn from and adopt.
Thrive, part of Whitbread’s Force for Good program, has helped hundreds of young adults find jobs in Premier Inn Hotels and beyond.
Visit the to learn more about partnering or to express your interest. Thrive Page on the Whitbread Website
Whitbread PLC
Whitbread PLC, the owner of Premier Inns, is also the owner and operator of restaurant brands like Beefeater and Brewers Fayre.
Premier Inn offers its guests a comfortable stay from booking to bed. Premier Inn has 80,000 rooms spread across 800+ hotels. Its beds are so comfortable that guests don’t want them to leave.
Whitbread has set its sights on Germany as a target for expansion outside the UK. Whitbread opened its first Frankfurt hotel in 2016, and currently has a pipeline of over 13,500 rooms and 73 hotels in H1 FY22.
Whitbread is committed in being a force of good in communities where it operates. Its sustainability program, “Force for Good”, focuses on enabling people who live and work to do so well. The programme is built around the three pillars Opportunity, Community and Responsibilty.
Whitbread PLC has been listed on the London Stock Exchange since 1997 and is a member of the FTSE.
Roz Golds
Head of External Communications
Whitbread PLC
