Hospitality sector calls for Hospitality Apprenticeships Week support

Hospitality trade bodies, charities and training providers have united to help promote Hospitality Apprenticeships Week 2022, calling on the wider industry to support the initiative. 

Hospitality Apprenticeships Week, which is set to run between 3 and 9 October, aims to showcase the “unique and diverse” career pathways that the sector provides, coming at a time when there are currently record vacancies across the industry.

It will aim to “challenge the misconceptions associated with careers in hospitality – shifting the view that the sector offers only short-term jobs that lack progression, to one that offers fulfilling and rewarding career prospects”.  

The week will also celebrate apprentices currently working in the sector, and those that have completed their apprenticeships and progressed within their business. 

Kate Nicholls, CEO of UKHospitality, said: “Initiatives such as this are incredibly important in shifting the level of understanding around what working in our amazing sector actually means and to show people the career opportunities that it presents. 

“Ours is a creative, vibrant and fun sector in which people can go from bar to board in a very short timeframe. If the industry gets behind the week we can educate, engage and employ people of all levels of experience across the UK, not only helping to solve the current staff shortages but futureproofing the industry by attracting the brightest and best.”

Jonathan Foot, head of Apprenticeships and Early Careers, Compass Group UK and Ireland, added: “Hospitality Apprenticeship Week is a great opportunity to celebrate our apprentices and showcase how apprenticeships can change the lives of our people. 

“We’re on a mission to provide support to one million people by 2030 and education and development forms a big part of this commitment. We always see an increase in apprenticeship applications during these focus weeks and would encourage all businesses to get on board.”

Susan Martindale, group HR Director, Mitchells and Butlers PLC, said: “I am extremely proud to support Hospitality Apprenticeship Week, not only promoting opportunities to thousands of young people; but also championing a much more tailored and comprehensive approach to learning.  

“Apprenticeships have been instrumental in growing our own talent and reducing turnover, yet there still remains some common misconceptions about our sector amongst key influencers that need to be addressed – this is the perfect platform for our sector to work collaboratively to share our success stories and help educate young people to make more informed choices about their future career.”