Simon Numphud, AA hotel services manager shares his insight
The recent People 1st State of the Nation 2013 report highlights that the hospitality industry will need to recruit 660,200 people by 2020. Yet currently unemployment in the UK has risen to 2.52 million and the hospitality industry already has thousands of vacancies still unfilled. So why is there this clear disconnect between unemployment and the vast array of opportunities in the hospitality industry?
Well the image of our industry as a well regarded profession and general awareness of the opportunities that a career in hospitality can offer, are still two immediate hurdles to overcome. Perceptions of the hospitality industry have without question improved dramatically over the years, helped by the ever growing presence and impact through media. However, there is still some way to go to match the status the profession has in Europe, particularly in the likes of France.
Chefs have become well known thanks to an explosion of books and television programmes including the recent excellent coverage of the Roux Scholarship. Now in its 30th year, the scholarship is legendary thanks to the great Michel and Albert Roux who have done so much to raise the profile of the profession in the UK. However, on the service side some of our best ambassadors such as Silvano Giraldin (Le Gavroche),Diego Masciaga (Waterside) and Fred Sirieix (Galvin at Windows) remain relatively less well known.
A further recent international study by the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development has identified that people in the UK between the ages of 15 to 29 will spend on average 2.3 years unemployed.
The British Hospitality Association at their recent Tourism Summit set out a key objective of creating 300,000 new jobs by 2020 to tackle unemployment and skills shortages. Through their “Big Conversation” initiative it is challenging all tourism and hospitality businesses to pledge to employ more 18 to 24 year olds or to offer apprenticeships and work experience. With 30,000 pledges so far the campaign has made an impressive start.
The hospitality industry is, in my view, unique in the fact that with or without qualifications, you can start as a trainee or junior position and with hard work and commitment you can work your way right to the top and reach senior management. This is a familiar story/path for many of our highly successful industry leaders today.
It is also one of the most dynamic and exciting industries you can be involved in where every day is different and the skills that you learn and develop along the way allow you to diversify your career across a huge spectrum of disciplines from finance through to service, the opportunities are endless.
Over the last two years, nearly a third of all UK jobs growth came from the hospitality industry which is now the fourth largest industry in the country. We are also one of the few industries that have clear potential for significant and sustainable growth. So it’s not difficult to see how hospitality could have a huge impact on unemployment.
Hotel Business has an ABC certified circulation of 7813 (audit period 1st July 2011 – 30th June 2012)
Comments are closed.