UKHospitality urges government to protect hospitality apprenticeship standards

UKHospitality has urged the Department for Work and Pensions to guarantee hospitality apprenticeship standards, amid an ongoing review.

This year’s apprenticeship reforms have already introduced accelerated apprenticeships, which reduce the minimum duration from 12 months to eight, where prior learning is recognised.

In a letter to Baroness Smith of Malvern, minister for skills, the association said apprenticeships in the sector support growth and learning for young people, and drive career development and progression.

The letter warned that any reduction to the number of hospitality apprenticeship standards on offer would undermine the government’s objectives to support young people into work and reduce economic inactivity.

It also raised concerns that an increasing focus on industrial strategy sectors, at the expense of hospitality and the everyday economy, risks creating a two-tier economy and society.

In the letter, Allen Simpson, chief executive of UKHospitality, wrote: “Hospitality is one of the UK’s highest users of apprenticeships and plays a central role in delivering opportunities for all. Apprenticeships are fundamental to that offer.

“Hospitality already operates with a relatively small number of standards, and these are comparatively low cost when set against those in many other sectors. Any further reduction would therefore have a disproportionate impact on our ability to recruit, train and progress people effectively.”

Simpson underlined that the association is concerned that the government’s increasing focus on industrial strategy sectors could come at the expense of segments like hospitality, and this risks “doing real damage”.

“It is creating the conditions for a two-tier economy that could lead to a two-tier society, where opportunities are increasingly denied to many because of their educational attainment or social background,” he wrote.

“It is imperative that hospitality is allowed to retain the apprenticeship standards that provide such a meritocratic pathway to management for young people.

“By cutting off development opportunities in hospitality, government risks undermining its own objectives to support young people into work and to reduce economic inactivity at all ages. Apprenticeships in our sector are a practical and proven mechanism for achieving both aims.”

Simpson’s letter concluded: “We therefore strongly urge you to guarantee that existing hospitality apprenticeship standards are protected for at least the next 24 months, while the sector works with government and other partners to determine the optimum skills landscape for the future.”

Earlier this month, the Department for Work and Pensions released details of two funding packages to get young people into work in hospitality.

The first was an £820m Plan for Change fund aimed at creating an estimated 350,000 new workplace opportunities to support young people on Universal Credit in developing on-the-job skills, employer networks and CV and interview coaching.

The second package was £725m earmarked for apprenticeship system reform. As part of this, the government will also cover the full cost of apprenticeships for eligible young people aged under 25 at small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This removes the previous 5% co-investment rate for SMEs.

The funding comes alongside government plans to open up new waves of foundation apprenticeships in sectors such as hospitality and retail.