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As part of research conducted for NFU Mutual’s Hospitality Recruitment Guide, published this week, a skills shortage has been revealed as a key concern for 45% of those in the hospitality and tourism industry.
Another major worry highlighted by the research was the political and economic instability as a result of Brexit negotiations, cited by 47% of respondents. When asked about their plans for Brexit, 85% of those who felt Brexit would impact the sector made no comment.
The impact of the National Living Wage was also listed as a key concern particularly for the hotel industry, receiving the votes of 35% of those representing hotels and 23% of the wider hospitality industry.
To help alleviate these concerns, the Hospitality and Recruitment Guide has been created by NFU Mutual in partnership with The British Hospitality Association (BHA) and Reed Specialist Recruitment, to provide advice to help business owners address concerns about future skills shortages by attracting more young people into careers in the industry.
Darren Seward, hospitality sector specialist at NFU Mutual, said: “Businesses we are speaking with are stressing the huge importance of EU staff to their operations, with real worry that Brexit will result not only in a smaller pool to recruit from but also skills and talent shortages.
“Some businesses already have plans in place for addressing these challenges – such as working more closely with schools and colleges – but in general, very few businesses appear to have done much planning and preparation for Brexit. While it’s difficult to prepare for an unknown, businesses should at the very least start thinking about how they would manage a changed employment landscape, which is how our Hospitality Recruitment Guide can help.”
