A wide-ranging report into the future of skills training for the catering and hospitality industry has been unveiled today. The findings, following an extensive review of skills needs and training to support businesses and learners, have been published by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE). They include details of how career entry level apprenticeships, which typically support younger people onto the careers ladder, are being improved.
Joanna Moonan, deputy director of IfATE, said: “I’m delighted to present this report and want to thank the many catering and hospitality employers and other stakeholders who provided valuable insights and ideas that are being taken forward. It reflects how skills training is being improved to support more people into exciting careers and where possible progress to higher levels.”
The report emphasises a need for more multi-skilled apprentices at career entry level. The existing level 2 Hospitality Team Member apprenticeship was said by employers to be too narrow in terms of the scope of training required. They also pointed out that allowing apprentices to move between departments, giving them broader experience, would boost their changes of promotion. It is therefore being updated to cover roles like bar work, dining, housekeeping and guest services, such as working on reception.
IfATE’s Hospitality Symposium is credited with re-engaging the sector. Following this event, the number of employers on government Trailblazer groups increased from less than 10 to over 80 at the present time. Their role is to identify what knowledge, skills, and behaviours learners must gain through apprenticeships and other technical qualification for a given job.
The report also provides insight into the state of catering and hospitality. The sectors were heavily impacted by the Covid 19 pandemic and, as a significant employer of EU citizens, the UK exit from the European Union. Vacancies reached a peak in Spring 2022 with ONS reporting a three-monthly average of 176,000 from April to June 2022. This had fallen to 95,000 for July to September 2024.
Whilst the trend is encouraging, the industry continues to face labour shortages, particularly affecting:
- Chefs: Skilled kitchen staff remain in high demand.
- Waitstaff: Front-of-house positions are difficult to fill.
- Housekeeping: Hotels struggle to maintain adequate cleaning staff.
- Management: There is a shortage of experienced hospitality managers
Businesses are dealing with significant cost inflation and closures continue to be an issue, although recent data indicated that this had slowed from eight sites a day in 2023 to four a day in the first quarter of 2024.
The report also flags the mental health and wellbeing of workers as an important concern. To address this, trade bodies and new initiatives have teamed up with mental health experts to create support programmes. One such collaboration is between the Institute of Hospitality and Mental Health at Work, curated by the charity Mind, to provide a mental health toolkit for the industry. IfATE has also partnered with The Burnt Chef project to better understand and address mental health issues.
Alison Gilbert, chair of IfATE’s catering and hospitality route panel, said: “I would like to thank everyone who contributed their time, energy and insights to this review. They showed time and again the level of passion for quality training in catering and hospitality.”
Find the full report HERE.
