Ufi Ibrahim says hospitality industry can help Government achieve its job creation target
The hospitality industry could make a real impact on helping the Government reach its target of creating 410,000 new jobs by 2015, Ufi Ibrahim, chief executive of the British Hospitality Association (BHA), told the 20th Annual Hotel General Managers' Conference earlier today.
"We could potentially create an additional 200,000 jobs if every hospitality business across the UK pledged to create one new job," she said at the conference organised by the Master Innholders, held at London's Grosvenor House. "No other industry has the potential to do this."
Ibrahim said unlike industries, such as manufacturing, financial services and retail, which are shrinking, the hospitality industry is leading the UK economy in creating jobs having been responsible for one-third of all new jobs across the country last year.
"We want the Government to recognise and embrace this, but to ensure this will happen, we need to stand out from the clutter."
Ibrahim announced that a Hospitality and Tourism Summit will be held on 11 June 2013, at which the prime minister and senior members of the Government will be invited. "It will be an opportunity to celebrate loudly the potential of the industry to let the Government know what we are doing.
"We are asking hospitality and tourism businesses from across the UK to join us at the summit to make a pledge to attract young people into hospitality, increase youth employment and reduce our skill shortages."
In the run up to the summit, a number of Big Conversation Breakfast meetings will take place, to promote the industry's initiatives in launching new jobs, Ibrahim added. The first event will take place on 8 February at Grosvenor House.
BHA to develop new strategy to create >>
By Janet Harmer
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