Accor India Launches Accelerate By Accor To Skill Youth From Underserved Communities

(MENAFN- ForPressRelease) India - Accor India is pleased to announce Accelerate by Accor, a strategic initiative to skill over 500 youth from low-income and underserved communities for entry-level careers in the hospitality and service sector, in partnership with The Job Plus and Tourism & Hospitality Skill Council (THSC).

Anchored in Accor's global purpose 'Pioneering the art of responsible hospitality, connecting cultures, with heartfelt care', the initiative reflects the Group's continued focus on enabling equitable access to employment and building a more inclusive hospitality ecosystem in India.

Hospitality has long been a sector with the ability to transform lives, offering structured career pathways and long-term growth. However, for many young individuals from underserved communities, access to this ecosystem has remained limited.

India's hospitality sector continues to face a dual challenge of high demand for skilled talent and limited access to structured entry pathways for underserved youth. Through this initiative, Accor is taking a leadership role in bridging this gap and creating a direct, inclusive pipeline that connects talent to opportunity, by enabling a structured pathway from skilling to employment. Designed as an outcome-led programme, it brings together industry-aligned training, certification, and direct employment linkages ensuring that participants are not only trained but are meaningfully integrated into the workforce.

By collaborating with The Job Plus and Tourism & Hospitality Skill Council, Accor is building a robust, scalable pipeline of hospitality talent. With a strong foundation and clear focus on outcomes, the programme will enable the youth to unlock meaningful career opportunities, achieve financial independence, and become active contributors to India's growing hospitality ecosystem.

Ranju Alex, CEO, South Asia, Accor India, said, "At Accor, we believe that hospitality has the power to create meaningful change beyond our hotels. This initiative is a reflection of our commitment to responsible hospitality-where we actively invest in people, open doors to opportunity, and build pathways for long-term careers. By enabling access to structured skilling and employment, we are not only strengthening the talent pipeline for our industry but also contributing to more inclusive and sustainable growth."

Rajan Bahadur, CEO, Tourism & Hospitality Skill Council, said, "This initiative reinforces the importance of demand-driven skilling, where industry plays a central role in shaping both training and outcomes. Through this collaboration, THSC will ensure that candidates are equipped with nationally recognised, NSQF-aligned certifications and practical competencies that directly meet employer expectations. It is a strong step towards building a future-ready hospitality workforce for India."

Natwar Nagar, Founder & CEO, The Job Plus, added, "At The Job Plus, we have always believed that talent is uniformly distributed across India, but opportunity is not. This partnership with Accor is a decisive step towards correcting that imbalance. For every young person from a low-income household who walks through the doors of a formal hospitality career, an entire family's economic trajectory changes. That is the scale of impact we are chasing, and with Accor's commitment, we are more confident than ever that we will achieve it."

As Accor continues to expand its footprint across India, initiatives such as this reinforce its commitment to building a future-ready, inclusive workforce. By aligning business growth with social impact, the group is addressing the evolving talent needs of the hospitality sector and also contributing to India's broader skilling and employment agenda.


ABOUT ACCOR

Accor is a world-leading hospitality group offering stays and experiences across more than 110 countries with over 5,800 hotels and resorts, 10,000 bars & restaurants, wellness facilities and flexible workspaces. The Group has one of the industry's most diverse hospitality ecosystems, encompassing more than 45 hotel brands from luxury to economy, as well as lifestyle, with Ennismore. ALL Accor, the booking platform and loyalty program embodies the Accor promise during and beyond the hotel stay and gives its members access to unique experiences. Accor is focused on driving positive action through business ethics, responsible tourism, environmental sustainability, community engagement, diversity, and inclusivity. Accor's mission is reflected in the Group's purpose: Pioneering the art of responsible hospitality, connecting cultures, with heartfelt care. Founded in 1967, Accor SA is headquartered in France. Included in the CAC 40 index, the Group is publicly listed on the Euronext Paris Stock Exchange (ISIN code: FR0000120404) and on the OTC Market (Ticker: ACCYY) in the United States.

About The Job Plus

Founded in April 2022, The Job Plus is a future-focused organization addressing manpower challenges in the service-hospitality industry. Backed by deep industry expertise, it scales youth skilling and employment to meet diverse hospitality demands.

In partnership with the Tourism and Hospitality Skill Council, The Job Plus has skilled and placed 1,800+ youth across 60+ properties of leading brands like Marriott, The Leela, Hyatt, Oberoi, Club Mahindra, and Encalm. With presence in 13 states and 101 cities, 49% of their beneficiaries are women-driving inclusive impact nationwide. By bridging the gap between high unemployment and skill shortages, The Job Plus aims to empower young individuals with comprehensive industry-led skilling, paving the way for better job prospects and fostering economic growth at the local level.

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