Pub group recruits school leavers

JD Wetherspoon unveiled plans to create 1,000 jobs for school leavers aged 16 and 17 yesterday.

The pubs group, which has more than 780 outlets in the UK, said recruits would be offered positions serving customers coffee and food, tidying tables and working in the pubs' kitchens. The roles do not involve bar work.

The company said the new employees will have the opportunity to study for NVQ qualifications and the option of completing a professional diploma and honours degree if they progress to a management position.

Wetherspoon said the recruits would be paid above the national minimum wage. The positions will be created during the next 12 months.

The company is one of the UK's biggest coffee chains: it sells 25 million coffees a year in its outlets.