Mini-hotel will boost job opportunities for young people with SEND

07 July 2025

A group students wearing purple Premier Inn polo shirts and black trousers.

Young people in Wirral with Special Education Needs or other disabilities will have their employment opportunities boosted by the opening of a bespoke hospitality training academy in Birkenhead.

This training facility - a mini-version of an actual Premier Inn hotel - includes a reception area, bedrooms, laundry and staff facilities, will help students with SEND at Wirral Met college gain valuable work experience, confidence and training to help them prepare for the world of work.

The young people who take part in the programme will gain the skills they need in the mini hotel to be able to undertake a supported internship in a local Premier Inn property. The students then have the opportunity for paid employment with Whitbread after their internship.

The mini-hotel officially opened this week with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, held on Wednesday 2 July, attended by Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region Steve Rotheram and Simon Ewins, Managing Director of Premier Inn UK Hotels & Restaurants. Students from Wirral Met, already sporting their Premier Inn uniforms, showed all the guests at the launch ceremony around the new facility.

This project is a shining example of what can be achieved when education, business, and the local authority come together with a shared purpose. I’m incredibly proud to see Wirral leading the way in creating meaningful opportunities for young people with SEND. As someone who works in the hospitality industry, I know how valuable these skills are - and I can’t wait to see these students thrive in their future careers.

Cllr Stephen Bennett, Chair of Children, Young People and Education Committee

Two men in grey suits standing in between two students in Premier Inn uniforms.

Currently, only 4.8% of people with learning difficulties are in paid employment. This initiative is part of Wirral Council’s broader commitment to improving SEND services and preparing young people for adulthood. The Council aims to significantly increase the number of supported internships available by 2026.

Wirral Council was able to support Whitbread’s wider Thrive Programme with funding from The National Development Team for Inclusion, as part of the Internships Work Programme. Thrive aims to create 100 supported internships for young people with SEND a year in the hospitality industry, with the mini hotels providing a safe and supportive training environment. The Council worked up a model with Wirral Met and Premier Inn. Whitbread, Premier Inn’s parent company, then got to work making Wirral’s mini hotel a reality.

Starting this September, up to 36 young people with SEND from across the Liverpool City Region will have the opportunity to benefit from a life-changing supported pre-internship programme - right here in Wirral. Bringing SEND into the mainstream and building more enriching and inclusive workplaces in the region.