Featured in this month's issue:

Events Industry Employers Missing Out On Training Opportunities

Teachers Turning to Industry for Diploma Support

Sector Skills Gaps Will Be "Critical" In Run Up To Olympics

Investment in Skills Key to Recovery, Warns UKCES

50,000 Users Now On UKSP!

Conservatives Announce Initiative to Help Unemployed into Service Industries

The Last Word - Chef Training is Worth Investing In

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Events industry employers are missing out on great opportunities to upskill their staff through lack of knowledge of training, qualifications and public funding, a new report by People 1st has revealed.

The Labour Market Review of the Events Industry, which looked at the industry's contribution to the UK economy, and skills recruitment and retention issues associated with its workforce, will form the basis for a strategy to address the skills and labour needs of the events industry.

The sector provides an important revenue stream for the UK. In 2007, business visits and events were worth over £22 billion to Britain's economy.*

While there is an array of qualifications available to support work-based training, such as foundation degrees in events management and temporary structures, many employers are not aware of them and, as such, training is largely in-house and informal. While 73 percent of businesses interviewed gave staff the opportunity to take a nationally recognised qualification, there is currently no continuing professional development (CPD) programme that leads to a qualification specifically for the events industry.

The report also found that there is a lack of understanding among jobseekers and learners on the realities of working in the events industry and what it entails.

People 1st has worked with the University of Derby to develop a draft skills and labour market strategy for the events industry, to create a coordinated, industry-wide approach enabling the sector to tap into the high number of events undergraduates. It focuses on the need for a strong CPD culture and taking a fresh look at qualifications at an undergraduate level. It also looks at how information, advice and guidance can be offered to the industry through www.uksp.co.uk.

The proposed strategy provided a platform for discussion at the Event Skills Seminar at Confex on 22 February, where People 1st and the University of Derby presented the proposals to key players from the events industry.

Martin-Christian Kent, research and policy director for People 1st, commented: "Given their central importance, it is critical for the ongoing professionalism and growth of the events industry that organisers have the necessary skills and expertise to meet and exceed their clients' expectations.

"The workshop at Confex has enabled employers, educators and other partners to come together to start making this a reality. If we get this right, it will provide a route to recognise the broader skills of our workforce and highlight the professionalism of the events industry."

The Labour Market Review of the Events Industry is available on the People 1st website, at www.people1st.co.uk/research/reports

Teachers and lecturers are increasingly turning to the hospitality industry for help in lesson planning for the new Diploma in Hospitality, a People 1st poll has found.

Over half (55 percent) of those surveyed claimed to have contacted local hospitality employers for support in helping prepare themselves for the new Diploma, which was launched in schools and colleges last September.

Nearly three-quarters (71 percent) confirmed they had good working relationships with their local employers. 66 percent said they were getting sufficient support from them, especially from hotels and restaurants, but welcomed more input from events management companies (69 percent), pubs, bars and nightclubs (64 percent), and membership clubs (96 percent).

Teachers and lecturers particularly valued work experience for Diploma students as well as careers, information, advice and guidance on different roles.

Hospitality employers have also given their unreserved backing for the Diploma. All employers surveyed agree that the new qualification provides 14-19 year olds with a good grounding in the hospitality industry, while 75 percent believe that it provides a great source for well-rounded, work-ready students from which their business can recruit.

Additionally, 83 percent of teachers said that their students enjoyed, and were greatly benefiting from, the Hospitality Diploma and looked forward to coming into class.

Half of employers also said that they intended to offer more support to schools and colleges in their area including work shadowing, project support, days in industry or business, curriculum visits, careers information, advice and guidance on different roles, mentoring, teaching support, access to facilities on their premises and masterclasses.

Sean Wheeler, director of people development at Malmaison and Hotel du Vin, welcomes the Diploma: "Businesses have had a significant input into the development of the Diploma so that young people are given a real insight into the world of hospitality from the start and are equipped with practical experience and the required skills to ensure they are ready for work."

Hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism businesses are responding positively to skills gaps within the sector, but this will become critical in the run-up to the Olympics, People 1st's director of policy and research, Martin-Christian Kent has stressed.

This was a response to the publication of the National Employer Skills Survey for England last month, which showed that skills gaps are higher in the hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism sector than across the UK as a whole.

Martin commented: "The findings help emphasise the scale of the challenge and the way employers in the hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism sector are responding to it. A quarter of sector employers are reporting skills gaps compared to 19% across the economy as a whole. We know that these are mainly management and leadership, customer service and chef skills.

"With the Olympic and Paralympic Games just two years away, it's critical that the sector can address those skill needs and reap the legacy that the Games presents to the hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism sector, in a similar way to which has been positively reported in Vancouver."

The survey also showed a positive response from sector employers in meeting the challenge: "What is encouraging is that most employers have not cut back on training and are tackling these skills, in spite of the recession. What the findings show is that they are in fact spending much more than employers in many other industries.

"This supports our own research that whilst employers are continuing to invest in training and development, they are changing the way it is being taken forward. Approximately, half are thinking about bringing it back in-house and a third are looking at the benefits of qualifications and government funding. It is critical that employers get the right advice and guidance and can maximise their investment in training whether in-house or through qualifications."

You can find out more about the best qualifications and funded training for your staff at www.uksp.co.uk

The benefits of economic recovery and growth will only be fully realised if there is a continued investment in skills, the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) has warned.

The first National Strategic Skills Audit, commissioned by the government and published by UKCES, shows that the last decade has seen unprecedented increases in the number of people with qualifications. However, the report warns that if the economic recovery is to continue it is important that future skills development needs are correctly identified and prioritised.

It found that the number of people reported as "not fully proficient" at their jobs increased by 400,000 to 1.7 million in 2009, with leadership and management skills and technical skills in need of particular improvement. It also found that the UK's growth in highly skilled jobs is one of the lowest in the OECD.

Chris Humphries CBE, chief executive of UKCES, said: "The National Strategic Skills Audit shows that there have been some substantial changes in the labour market over the past decade. In order to operate in this fast-changing environment we need comprehensive market intelligence, showing us which are the really key priorities for future investment.  The National Strategic Skills Audit is the single best source of that, and will help employers, individuals, and education and training providers to make the best informed decisions possible."

People 1st's National Skills Strategy for England outlines the ten key points to be addressed for the hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism industries, and is available online at www.people1st.co.uk/england

Businesses can also boost the skills of their workforce through Stonebow, People 1st's training division, helping service-centred companies become more competitive, build capacity and focus on the essentials of their business. More information on Stonebow courses is available at www.stonebow.co.uk

The number of registered users looking for a career in the hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism sector through www.uksp.co.uk has hit 50,000!

The unique website, powered by People 1st, brings together information on jobs, careers, funding, employers, training and qualifications in hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism. This latest milestone means that the number of users on the site has more than doubled in the past 12 months, giving employers in the sector even more opportunities to advertise themselves as an employer of choice to jobseekers.

By signing up to the UKSP Good Employer Guide, businesses can post job opportunities on the site, as well as publicly rate themselves against best practice standards chosen by employers themselves.

By becoming part of the Good Employer club, which now has over 600 members, businesses will also receive updates on funded training opportunities, industry events and networking opportunities.

Sound interesting? To register as a Good Employer, visit www.goodemployer.co.uk

The Conservative Party has announced plans to create a "Service Academy" that would provide training in the hospitality, leisure travel and tourism sector for up to 50,000 unemployed people, should the party be elected.

The initiative is supported by 11 leading companies in the sector - Barcelo Hotels and Resorts, Bourne Leisure, Gala Coral Group, Guoman and Thistle Hotels, InterContinental Hotel Group, Merlin Entertainments Group, Pizza Express, Sodexo, Starbucks, Travelodge and Whitbread PLC. 

This coalition of companies will design a two-week pre-employment course that is followed by on-site work experience placements.

Hospitality employers will also have the option to include the one-day Customer Service Professional Programme delivered by the National Skills Academy for Hospitality. The nationally recognised qualification, developed specifically for the hospitality industry following a major research project into customer service, has had excellent feedback from in excess of 1,000 people who have already completed it.

Those who complete the two-week pre-employment programme will receive certification, which the companies will promote as an industry standard for work readiness.

The sector would look to offer jobs to 20 percent of those who complete the course and work experience by prioritising applications for employment from those who have successfully completed the accredited course and work experience programme. This would be the equivalent of 10,000 jobs over the next two years.

People 1st's chief executive, Brian Wisdom, commented: "People 1st supports the direct involvement of employers in the training and placement of unemployed people. Our research shows that employers see customer service as the critical skills shortage, and this initiative will help individuals to return to work and address the service deficit in the run up to 2012."

A recent Labour Force Survey statistic showed that chefs stay with employers offering training for an average of 6.5 years, compared to 4.4 years for those who don't offer training - something that could really have an impact on the bottom line of a business.

Chefs are expensive to recruit. People 1st's 2009 Employer Survey found that the average direct cost of recruiting and inducting a new chef was £705.

When other factors come into play, the cost rises even further. As one leading employer told us, the downtime involved in training new chefs, the loss of productivity, replacement of uniforms and other factors means it actually costs around £5,500 to replace a chef.

Anything that encourages them to stay with the business longer not only drives up your margins, but also reduces the cost of turnover. People 1st's research team has estimated that businesses could save £529 per chef, per year, by investing in their development. With around 47,500 chefs leaving their jobs each year, that’s a potential £25 million a year that the hospitality industry is losing.

Chefs are like anyone else - if they are given relevant development opportunities as well as other challenges, they are more loyal to their employer, and more likely to stay with them.

Chefs represent one of the biggest skills shortages the hospitality industry faces. Employers must realise that addressing this is not just about attracting new people to the sector, and perceptions of long hours and pay, but about retaining the workforce that we already have.

While the Professional Cookery Diploma provides a fantastic basis for a career as a chef, the National Skills Academy for Hospitality also highlights excellent programmes for continuous development, such as chef masterclasses. More information on these is available at www.excellencefound.co.uk

Additionally, as chefs progress in their careers, it is important to develop the wider skills that go beyond cooking. People 1st's training division, Stonebow, offers courses in management and leadership, as well as business planning. More information is available at www.stonebow.co.uk.

Statistics show that it makes good business sense to train and develop your chefs. It doesn't just create a balanced and settled team, but boosts the bottom line as well. If you also take into account the stress that is put upon managers and teams when turnover is high, you cannot put a price on keeping your chefs happy.

If that means investing in their skills, it's an investment worth making.