Not 'just a job': more people considering a career in hospitality
The number of those considering a career in hospitality has risen to one in three, compared to one in five in August 2021.
The findings were presented in UKHospitality's ‘Hospitality Workforce Strategy One Year On' report, a plan set up last year by UKHospitality in a bid to tackle to the industry's workforce crisis.
In the workforce strategy report, UKHospitality cited various schemes which it attributed as having helped increase the number of those interested in a career in the sector. It mentioned the recruitment campaign Hospitality Rising which, since its launch in October 2022, has advertised over 90,000 jobs, as well as citing job search and employment hub CareerScope, which saw over 100,000 people use the site in the last 12 months to start their hospitality careers.
Another initiative the report cited is the Hospitality and Schools Liaison Programme. Led by Adrian Ellis, general manager at the Lowry in Salford, and Hotelier of the Year 2022, the team meets with schools and colleges to encourage sign-ups into hospitality related courses. The programme is expanding nationwide with over 30 hotel and school partnerships.
The rise in the number of those considering a career in the sector was reported by Hospitality Rising.
Kate Nicholls, chief executive at UKHospitality, said breaking the perception of hospitality being "just a job" to an "exciting career option" is one of its key priorities.
She added: "These survey results are testament to that work taking effect. The work we do with government and the wider sector, when combined with public-facing campaigns like Hospitality Rising, is absolutely essential to breaking down this stereotype.
"I'm delighted that these collaborative efforts have made such a difference in the short time since our workforce strategy launched."
Alongside an improvement in the number viewing hospitality as a career, the report stated the number of sector vacancies has fallen by over a quarter since the launch of the strategy.
UKHospitality's workforce strategy focuses on five areas including recruitment, skills and training, and improving the working lives of those in, and entering, the industry.
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