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Industry skills body People 1st has welcomed the reappointment of Conservative MP Nick Boles as Skills Minister, after prime minister David Cameron reinstated him in the role last Monday.
The body urged Boles to continue what it described as his pragmatic approach towards the apprenticeship reform that hospitality employers have “welcomed and embraced”.
Boles was reappointed as Skill Minister at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills last Monday (May 11), as David Cameron unveiled his new-look cabinet.
People 1st said that the Conservative Party has “bold” ambitions for apprentices across all industries, with targets to create three million new apprenticeships by the end of this parliament.
Simon Tarr, managing director of People 1st, said the hospitality industry can play a “major role” in helping to realise the government’s ambitions for apprenticeships.
He said: “Over 17,000 apprentices completed hospitality apprenticeships last year alone. With hospitality currently projected to recruit 993,000 employees by 2022, including 229,000 in skilled and management roles, apprentices will continue to play a critical role in developing skilled staff in the years to come.”
People 1st said that the government’s apprenticeship reforms aim to place employers in the driving seat to develop “robust apprenticeships” that reflect the skills needs of their industry and to ensure their quality.
Hospitality employers are calling on Boles to continue what the previous government started by placing employers at the heart of the apprenticeship system.
Hospitality employers have come together as a part of a Government Trailblazer to develop new apprenticeship standards for the hospitality industry.
Sandra Kelly, head of education at Whitbread and member of the Hospitality Trailblazer, said: “This is an exciting and critical crossroads for the apprenticeship reform and we look forward to working with the new minister. Employers in the Hospitality Trailblazer have outlined a clear proposal to ensure the ongoing quality of the industry’s apprenticeships by remaining in the driving seat.”
