Hotel brands call for more hospitality training opportunities

Hilton and Edwardian Hotels London are calling for more training opportunities to be provided by businesses in the hospitality sector.

The drive comes as Hilton becomes the latest hotel group to join ‘The 5% Club’, which encourages companies to offer as many ‘earn and learn’ opportunities as possible.

‘Earn and learn’ opportunities are structured training programmes which give people the chance to work towards a qualification whilst being paid, such as apprenticeships and degree apprenticeships.

Edwardian Hotels London is already a member of club, which was founded by Balfour Beatty’s CEO Leo Quinn, and has over 300 members across all sectors and size of business. Members aim to place at least one in 20 of their workforce in ‘earn and learn’ positions within five years of joining.

Lady Cobham, director general, of The 5% Club, said: “The hospitality industry is a key driver of growth for the UK economy, but with skills and labour shortages growing, it is facing a skills crisis and needs many more skilled employees. I believe providing more apprenticeships and training opportunities is the answer.

“Apprenticeships are available in a wide range of roles and offer a great way for people to enter the job market or re-skill. Additionally, apprenticeships are an attractive proposition for employees who want to gain new skills, train on-the-job and have the security of employment.”

Kay Harriman, senior director of HR at Hilton, added: “The hospitality industry offers a rich variety of rewarding job opportunities to suit almost any ambition and skillset. But for those just starting out in this industry, structured training alongside paid, hands-on experience is often critical to build the necessary skills for a successful career.”