Liverpool FC have announced they are set to hire 1,000 new employees to work in their new Main Stand, which is scheduled to be completed by the start of next season.
With a further 8,500 seats being added to the stand as part of a £260m expansion project, the new staff will work on match-days at Anfield. This will involve roles in its kitchen, catering, hospitality, tours and museum teams.
Lise Jenkins, the club’s human resources director, said: “We are absolutely delighted that the expansion of the Main Stand will give a huge number of people an opportunity to be part of our football family.
“This recruitment drive supports our commitment to creating opportunities for local people and giving fans in the stadium the best possible experience.”
Councillor Barry Kushner, Chair of the Employability and Skills Select Committee, echoed the club’s sentiments.
He told JMU Journalism: “This is a good opportunity for people living in Anfield and North Liverpool to earn money and get on a career ladder.
“When organisations like LFC, work with us, we can target these opportunities at people who need them, and offer them the training that they need, to turn this part-time opportunity into progression into full time work elsewhere.
“This can create a sense of hope and confidence in the local community, and creates a trust in a local business that with the support of the council can work to their benefit.”
Councillor Kushner also defended the temporary state of the jobs, saying: “This reflects the part-time nature of the business operation, with games usually once a fortnight. Part-time jobs are not ideal, but if LFC is working with the council then we can make this part of a career path.
“That is completely different to other big businesses which have full-time regular hours of opening, but still insist on offering zero hours and irregular hours of working. Too many of these zero hours do not support progression into further employment.”
The new Main Stand will be one of the largest all-seater single stands in European football, as well as offering fans more places to buy food, larger catering facilities and events spaces.