Government considers hospitality ‘boot camps’ to tackle recruitment crisis
According to The Telegraph, ministers have held meetings with industry representatives to discuss how to tackle the workforce shortage.
One idea being considered is the creation of boot camps where Job Centre candidates would be trained on basic hospitality skills such as food preparation and food safety, setting them up to easily take-up roles in the hospitality industry.
It is understood by The Telegraph that ministers are hoping to roll out a pilot scheme in the autumn.
The Conservative MP Alun Cairns, chair of the All Party Parliamentary Beer Group, said: “There’s a significant number of people that are economically inactive, and the hospitality sector offers an ideal opportunity for employment.
“This boot camp could play a key part in developing young people who are far away from the workplace.”
According to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), vacancies across the hospitality sector stood at 132,000 in May, 48% higher than pre-Covid levels.
Last week it was reported that hospitality businesses fear they will struggle to cope over the summer holiday season, amid a warning that ongoing staffing struggles are creating a ‘serious crisis’ within the sector.
Meanwhile, UKHospitality has previously said recruitment shortages across the sector are ‘continuing to hold back growth’.
