Skill shortages leave hospitality and leisure businesses on the back foot
Article Type: Notes and news From: Industrial and Commercial Training, Volume 41, Issue 6
Continued reliance on unskilled labor and short-term recruitment and training strategies has left some hospitality and leisure businesses in the UK on a back foot during the recession. according to a report by sector-skills council People First.
The report also reveals that the hospitality, leisure and travel and tourism industries are suffering from skill shortages and difficulties in filling specific vacancies, but value training programs such as apprenticeships:
Staff turnover within the sector remains the highest in the UK economy, at 31 percent. One employer in five claims that the level of staff turnover and lack of skills within the company are harming productivity and present a problem for the business. Employers also report that one vacancy in five is difficult to fill, with the shortage of chefs and kitchen staff particularly acute. Despite the growing popularity of chef careers, a third of employers still find it difficult to recruit skilled chefs.
Industry qualifications are becoming increasingly important to employers,with 53 percent placing more value on them as a way of distinguishing between candidates as competition for certain positions increases.
Some 66 percent of companies offer training to staff. However, 51 percent say they plan to cut back on training, while 25 percent plan to invest more in developing their staff.
Employers are reappraising the value of apprenticeships as a cost-effective way to invest in their future workforce. More than three-quarters (77 percent)of employers believe apprentices make them more competitive while 76 percent say that apprentices provide higher overall productivity. Moreover, 80 percent feel that apprenticeships reduce staff turnover.
However, the sector appears to be making some inroads in improving the skills of the current workforce. More employers are also training their staff than previously (66 percent compared to 61 percent two years ago). Slightly fewer businesses are reporting that their staff lack skills than a year ago. Management skills appear to be improving, with 26 percent of employers reporting that their managers lack the required skills – a fall of 4 percent over the last two years.
Overall, qualification levels have risen over the last five years. The proportion of the workforce with at least a level two qualification has risen from 60 percent to 64 percent.
The hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism industries employ 2 million people in the UK, accounting for 1 in 14 UK jobs. The sector contributes £160 billion, accounting for nearly 5 percent of the UK’s total economic output.
