Why Hospitality Should be Approaching Schools NOW
Timothy R. Andrews
Head of Talent Jumeirah Carlton Tower & Jumeirah Lowndes hotels | Hospitality Podcaster | Talking Hospitality podcast |
This article looks at why we, as Hospitality professionals, should be approaching schools right NOW to ensure the future of our industry and being "too busy" is the wrong attitude.
The state of Hospitality right now
The UK Hospitality industry is a vital part of the UK economy and, at the time of writing, employs over 1.8 million people, generating ￡40.4 billion in revenue each year.
However, the industry is facing a skills shortage, with over 149,000 (or 9% of) vacancies currently unfilled.
The result is that one in three UK Hospitality businesses have had to close or operate on reduced days, costing the economy approximately ￡21 billion a year.
Whilst this is very much a problem for now, it is also a problem for the future too unless we act.
Why is it important now? We have enough problems.
One way to address this skills shortage, and to prevent this from being an issue in subsequent years, is for the Hospitality industry to approach schools and promote the industry to young people right now.
There are a number of reasons why this is important:
But How?
There are a number of ways that the Hospitality industry can approach schools to promote the industry. One way is to organize careers events at schools. These events can give young people the opportunity to meet with industry professionals, learn about the different career opportunities available and ask questions.
Another way to promote the industry is to work with schools to develop curriculum that includes modules on Hospitality. This can help to raise awareness of the industry among young people and give them the skills they need to succeed in a Hospitality career.
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Conclusion
The UK Hospitality industry is a vital part of the UK economy. By approaching schools and promoting the industry to young people, the industry can address the skills shortage and ensure that it has the talent it needs to grow and thrive in the years to come.
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Timothy Put The Kettel On: Talking Hospitality podcast season 3 will be looking at key ways the hospitality industry can attract, hire and retain people through a range of tips and advice.
We discuss in more detail issues surrounding young people, as well as those who are older.
So don't forget to subscribe and get all that free advice from some of the top professionals in our sector!
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Sources:
Director of Revenue | I drive Profitability | create Memorable Stays for Repeat Business | implement your technology for Maximum Efficiency | Hospitality Speaker
1 年I totally agree, we should explain how amazing is our industry and that with the right passion it is a mission for life! However, I have seen in my own country that the new generations chose hospitality schools because they are a great option to study less. Then they don't really know what they are going to do after. Moreover, there are schools where the teachers tell the students that they are all going to be managers, but they fail to explain the part when the students need to start from an entry-level position and that experience is part of life! So we create "Chiefs and no Indians"!