Starbucks is set to welcome 7,500 new baristas across the UK over the next five years, alongside its plan to open 500 new coffeehouses across the country.
The expansion will create thousands of opportunities for people to build their careers, with new baristas joining more than 18,000 employees already bringing the Starbucks Experience to life for customers every day.
People in the Midlands, North of England, Wales and Scotland will see the most Starbucks jobs coming to their communities, with approximately 80 per cent of new coffeehouses targeted in areas north of the M25.
Darren King, vice president and managing director, Starbucks UK, said: ‘We’re proud to be creating thousands of new jobs across the UK over the next five years, bringing new opportunities to communities across the country as we continue to invest and grow here.
At the heart of our Back to Starbucks strategy is our ambition to create a place where people can build skills, grow their careers and feel part of a team. We’re deeply focused on how we can help more young people into these positions, starting by making entry level roles as accessible as possible. You don’t need previous industry experience and we’ll give you the training and support you need from day one’.
Starbucks is a major employer of young people in the UK with more than half (53 per cent) of partners in Starbucks company-operated stores under the age of 24.
Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the BRC, said: “At a time when too many young people are struggling to get a foot on the career ladder, this investment is hugely welcome. Retail and hospitality are vital routes into the workplace, helping young people build skills, confidence and experience while offering genuine opportunities to progress. Starbucks commitment to thousands of new jobs shows the important role the industry can play in opening doors for the next generation.”
To better understand young people’s perceptions of customer-facing roles in retail and hospitality, Starbucks commissioned research with Ipsos involving approximately 3,400 young people. The findings revealed that of the 18-35-year-olds surveyed who are currently, or have previously worked in a customer-facing job in the retail or hospitality industry (n=2392), 83% think the experience has helped them develop skills that will be useful in their working life including customer service skills, communication and teamwork.
Despite this, many young people do not see retail and hospitality as a long-term career path. Just 10% of those currently working in customer-facing roles in these sectors expect to remain in their role for more than 10 years. More generally, 68% of 18–35-year-olds surveyed agree that retail and hospitality roles are perceived as temporary or ‘stopgap’ work.
To help challenge this perception, Starbucks is creating more opportunities for baristas to grow their careers as the business grows, with clear pathways from a first job to a lasting career.
With more than 6,000 leaders already working in coffeehouses across the country, Starbucks is investing further in its leadership pipeline by creating an additional 140 deputy store manager roles. This builds on existing initiatives, including its Accelerated Leadership Programme, designed to give baristas an accelerated route into leadership and help them build the skills to become store manager-ready in approximately 13 months, compared with a journey that would typically take around three years.
Starbucks is also expanding the routes available for employees to learn, develop and build long-term careers with the business. It has committed to a further 200 apprenticeship places over the next year, building on the more than 2,000 employees who have already taken part in its fee-free apprenticeship programme. Opportunities span from Level 2 entry-level barista apprenticeships through to advanced professional qualifications for senior leaders, giving employees the chance to continue developing at every stage of their career.
The findings also come as routes into work are changing for young people. The research found that 68%* of those surveyed agree that AI is reducing traditional entry-level jobs available to young people aged 18-25. At the same time, almost one million 16–24-year-olds in the UK are currently not in education, employment or training.
King added: “These findings show that we need to rethink how we value hospitality careers. Working face-to-face with customers, colleagues and managers helps build vital interpersonal skills that can provide the foundation for any career, with 83% of young people with experience in these roles recognising the valuable skills they gain. But beyond developing transferable skills, we want more young people to see the opportunities to build a rewarding career in hospitality.
“That’s why we’re creating more ways for people to grow and progress at Starbucks. For those with a passion for coffee, programmes like Coffee Masters recognise our most skilled baristas and offer advanced coffee education. And for those who want to explore a different path, there are opportunities across our wider business, from beverage development to finance, marketing and much more.”
