Last month, Charlotte Heyes, co-founder of Nell’s Pizza, launched free jobs platform Lenny designed to connect 14 to 17-year-olds with hospitality jobs across Greater Manchester and Salford. Powered by hospitality recruitment platform Candid Hospitality, Lenny, which is named after Heyes’ son, aims to help young people secure entry-level work while making it easier for operators to employ people under the age of 18.
Tell us about the inspiration behind Lenny
About seven months ago, I encouraged my son Lenny, who is 14, to do some fundraising for a school trip he’s going on next year. Within a few months, we noticed such a change in him. He’s always been quite shy, but he was really positive about going off to work. I noticed an increase in his confidence, independence and growth in how he communicates with adults. It was obvious he was getting a sense of purpose and value from earning his own money. That was combined with how many people stopped me in the playground and asked if I could help get their child a job over the summer made me realise that a platform like Lenny was needed.
How did Lenny start?
I formulated a plan for what it would look like. Originally, I thought we could launch it at Nell’s and see how it went. We’ve got five sites in Greater Manchester, and I thought each could have one or two young people for a few hours a week on a Saturday. I put the advert on our website, and I put it on my LinkedIn and my personal Instagram, but the response made me think that this was needed on a bigger scale.
When did you realise that you wanted to include more businesses?
Over the course of about 48 hours, I’d had around 460 applications, which was wild. Then I realised there was a huge need for something like this. Within four weeks, we’d had around 2,000 applications. There’s a narrative around the younger generation that they are a bit lazy, demotivated and don’t want to work. But that’s not what this shows. It shows that people are really keen to get a job at that age.
How did you scale the project to manage the number of applications?
Once we saw the number of applications coming in - with people also turning up at sites, calling and emailing - I realised we needed a way to manage it. All the applicants had taken the time to write a cover letter explaining why they wanted to work in hospitality and when and where they wanted to do their introductory shifts. There were no CVs because the focus wasn’t on previous experience. I reached out to Nick at Candid Hospitality, who helped develop a simple platform to screen applicants based on location and availability. It also incorporated Candid’s values-matching tool, which uses a short culture survey. Within a couple of days, he’d built a working version of the platform. Safeguarding was built into the process, too, with parents or guardians copied in or asked to approve the next stage where required.
Why do you think hospitality is such an important industry for young people?
At a basic level, it’s about soft skills and people skills - communicating, working with others and learning how to deal with different situations. Hospitality is fundamentally a people-focused industry, so there are so many transferable skills you can develop. There’s also the potential to build a career very quickly. You can progress through the ranks and start gaining experience in areas such as marketing, finance, business and HR.
Why was it important to focus the project on 14- to 17-year-olds?
If you can get into employment and understand the workplace at a young age, it can give you vital experience. Having that exposure between the ages of 14 and 17 can make getting a job later on feel much less daunting. Without it, it can be easy to disengage from the system, and getting back into the workplace can become something that feels intimidating. There’s also much less pressure at 14 because everyone understands that it’s your first job. If you were in your 20s applying for your first job, the expectations would be much higher. Starting young gives people the opportunity to build confidence, learn workplace skills and make mistakes in a low-pressure environment.
There’s a narrative around the younger generation that they are a bit lazy, demotivated and don’t want to work. But this shows that people are really keen to get a job at that age
Why was it important to make it easier for businesses to employ under-18s?
The legislation around employing young people is complex and can vary significantly between local authorities. In Manchester, for example, there are 10 boroughs, each with different processes and requirements. For a business, it can be easy to look at that complexity and think, ‘There’s no way I’m doing that’. In some cases, employers may also need to apply for a work permit. We wanted to remove that barrier, so the platform makes the process as simple as possible and guides businesses through each step of employing a young person.
Why did you decide to structure the opportunities as six-month placements?
Employing people comes with cost and risk, so that timeframe makes it more manageable for businesses. It also works for young people because they could complete a six-month placement with one business and then move on to another, building up experience with different employers and effectively developing their CV as they go.
Do young people need persuading to get into work?
I don’t think so. The number of applications we’ve received shows that they’re ready and willing to work. Lenny regularly comes to me and says, ‘Someone at school has said they want to get a job. Can you help them?’. Young people are talking about it and actively looking for these opportunities. That enthusiasm needs to be harnessed rather than missed.
What response have you had from businesses?
The response has been overwhelmingly positive, with many reaching out to say how much they love the idea. Some businesses signed up immediately, while others needed a little more explanation or have asked to come back when things are less pressured. Nobody has been negative - it’s simply about making it work for them. The businesses that have signed up are doing something quite selfless. Taking on a young person doesn’t necessarily deliver an immediate return; there’s inevitably a period of learning before they become a really useful member of the team.
Why should businesses join the scheme?
There is an element of this that is selfless, but I don’t think it should be viewed entirely that way. As a sector, we need to invest in the future - the people who could be running our businesses in 10 years’ time. The earlier we can bring young people into hospitality and help them understand the industry, the better. In the long run, that could help address some of the workforce challenges the sector faces.
Have you had support from the local authorities?
I’m currently working with Manchester City Council and Greater Manchester Combined Authority, which oversees the 10 boroughs within Greater Manchester. There’s a requirement for a young person’s work permit from 14 until they finish their GCSEs, essentially. Until you’re a school leaver, you need a work permit, and all the application processes are different for every authority. Manchester City Council and Greater Manchester Combined Authority are really supportive. They’re really interested in the scheme and are working with us to try and find a way to make that a smoother process.
The earlier we can bring young people into hospitality and help them understand the industry, the better
Would you like to see the scheme rolled out nationally?
If we can make it work in Manchester, get enough businesses involved and demonstrate that the model works, I don’t see why it couldn’t be rolled out nationally. I can imagine the impact if businesses across the country each gave a 14- to 17-year-old the opportunity to work just two hours a week on a Saturday. There could also be incentives for businesses to take part, whether through making it cheaper to employ young people, tax breaks or another form of support. I know that’s a very simplified idea but imagine if it became commonplace. The potential impact could be huge.