Knowles, who is also the CEO of Beds & Bars, was speaking at the official launch of the initiative, which has pledged to offer 15,000 work placements across the country to young people.
He urged: “Promote it to the people that are not here. You are the people that are going to help us.
“It is a great opportunity for us to pre-interview people who are going to get training with us for two weeks. Think about how much time we spend interviewing people who have no training and how long we spend interviewing people who really don’t want the job.
“This is going to be a great time saver for us and we are going to get 15,000 people into permanent work.”
He predicted this number of 15,000 had the potential to double in years to come.
The initiative is backed by community pubs minister Brandon Lewis who also spoke at the launch.
He praised the voluntary scheme and said: “This is a phenomenal industry that employs through the supply chain and directly around 1million people. I don’t think we do enough nationally to highlight this.
“There is a phenomenal career opportunity in hospitality on lots of levels. Every landlord is an entrepreneur and we are a fantastic country for entrepreneurs. We have got an industry that is developing people’s skills.
“I think it is fantastic that the industry is coming together in the way that it is to help young people to see a real career path.”
To ensure the best training provision is available, pre-employment academies and workshops are being set up with the Hospitality Guild and People 1st, the industry’s sector skills council.