Hospitality employers need better skills from school-leavers

Hospitality employers need better skills from school-leavers

Keywords: Hospitality industry, Skills, School-leavers

The Hospitality Training Foundation (HTF), the hospitality industry's national training organisation in the UK, is taking action to help school pupils develop the all-round skills needed by the hospitality industry.

The HTF's latest survey of the industry's skills needs shows that employers want people who are willing to learn, with flexibility and who are well-presented. They also need their employees to have a basic level of numeracy and literacy and to understand the importance of good communication and customer service.

The HTF has therefore undertaken to develop resource materials for schools to develop these skills in a hospitality context, thus providing the additional advantage of promoting the industry as a future career.

Declan Swan, NTO director at the Hospitality Training Foundation, is in no doubt as to the importance of developing both skills and attitudes in schools:

"I think most people would agree that employers have a duty to look after their staff, offering the right pay and conditions of employment including training. But basic skills such as numeracy, literacy and how to act in a correct manner need to be fostered at a much earlier age.

"As the industry's national training organisation, our work is directed by hospitality employers and we are addressing a number of issues relating to schools, such as the need to get food back on the national curriculum. However,we are also tackling the need to prepare school pupils for a career in the industry, and that means helping them to develop skills that, not too long ago,were taken for granted."

The HTF secured funds from the Savoy Education Trust for the Learning Resources project. Springboard UK has been contacted by HTF to develop and promote the materials, with overall project management resting with the HTF.