NOVUS CREATES AUTHENTIC PREMIER INN TRAINING FACILITY

We’ve delivered a new Premier Inn training centre at Lincolnshire County Council’s InspireU campus as part of Whitbread’s Thrive programme which aims to tackle the disability employment gap.

We created the new facility by transforming two classrooms and a corridor at the college into an exact replica of a Premier Inn including three en-suite bedrooms, a reception desk, corridor and linen room. The rooms provide a true Premier Inn experience, with all fixtures, wiring, M&E systems, studwork, ceilings, flooring, décor, case goods, sanitaryware, and soft furnishings. Our team completed the project in just eight weeks, all while the college remained fully operational.

The new Premier Inn Training Centre, which was officially opened in October, will be shared on a rota basis by local special schools, colleges and adult services, ensuring wide access across the region. Providing authentic training facilities like these helps to equip young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) with the practical skills, confidence and pathways they need to secure meaningful work.

John McMonigle Head of Operations at Novus Property Solutions said: “We’ve worked with Whitbread for 15 years and in that time we’ve refurbished hundreds of Premier Inns all over the UK. We applied the same attention to detail and commitment to quality here so the young people training at the centre will have an authentic working environment to hone their skills at college. Giving back to the communities in which we operate is an integral part of Novus’ company ethos so it was a privilege to be able to play our part in this project to support Whitbread’s inspiring Thrive initiative to create more inclusive employment opportunities.”

Rachel Howarth, Chief People Officer of Whitbread added: “Thrive is a shining example of how business can lead the way in making employment more inclusive and accessible to all. At Whitbread, we believe there should be no barriers to entry and no limits to ambition and Thrive proves that when employers step up, real change happens. None of this would be possible without the hard work of our partners, colleagues and local communities, and I want to thank everyone who has helped bring it to life.”

The Whitbread Thrive programme, run in partnership with Post-16 Special Educational Needs (SEN) providers, was set up to give young people with additional needs hands-on hospitality experience, supported internships, and pathways into paid employment. Many go on to progress into supported internships or permanent roles in Premier Inn hotels.