Can’t get the staff? It’s time to look at Apprenticeships

It’s been a tough time for the hospitality sector. Closed, restricted, adapted – our restaurants, pubs, hotels and venues had to change their operations to respond to lockdowns, test and trace and – quite rightly – ramp up safety.

As we move away from those restrictions though, there’s no immediate end to another major issue – vacancies in hospitality are at an all-time high. “Can’t get the staff” used to be a joke, a well worn cliché, but now it’s a national crisis. Many businesses haven’t been able to open their kitchens fully and serve food due to a lack of staff. A year ago, in the era of Eat Out To Help Out, many pubs and restaurants enjoyed a busy summer. This time round, it’s a different world.

The ‘furlough hangover’

When hospitality businesses were unable to open their doors due to lockdown, they furloughed their staff, many of whom found themselves new jobs to keep themselves going. The reality is that they’re not coming back and the ‘furlough hangover’ is very real. It’s been a huge shift, with lots of employees literally walking away from the sector. One recent estimate suggested that up to 50% of staff will not return to their old jobs.

The hospitality industry can be very rewarding but it can also be demanding. Keeping staff motivated and stable is key. With restrictions no longer in place and businesses able to operate at full capacity, they need good, reliable staff more than ever.

That’s where Apprenticeships can help. It’s proven that businesses who take on Apprentices benefit from reduced staff turnover, increased productivity and a more motivated, loyal workforce.

We can help

At HTP we’ve been helping businesses in the hospitality sector to recruit and train Apprentices for a long time and we have a proven track record in matching the right people to the right business. We handle the recruitment and make it easy for you to appoint the right candidate for your team.

We can help you to find your next member of staff! We offer Professional Cookery Apprenticeships such as Production Chef Level 2, Commis Chef Level 2, Senior Production Chef Level 3, Chef de Partie Level 3 and Senior Culinary Chef Level 4.

For Hospitality and Tourism businesses we can provide Apprenticeships in Hospitality Team Member Level 2, Hospitality Supervisor Level 3 and Hospitality Manager Level 4.

We can also recruit Apprentices in Customer Service, Business Administration, Management and Human Resources.

We make it easy

If you’re a small business, there’s never been a better time to introduce Apprenticeships to your business – the Government pays 95% of the cost. No hidden fees, no catches. If you’re a business with an annual salary bill of £3m or more, you’re already paying into the ‘Apprenticeship Levy’ – why not use it to nurture and develop your team?

There’s no doubt that our hospitality, tourism and events sectors have been hardest hit by the pandemic. With an expected surge in pent-up demand, coupled with a summer of staycations and a domestic tourism boom, the same businesses that had previously cut their hours and staff due to lack of demand, may well be able to reap the rewards of a busy tourist season. That’s only if you have the right team in place.

With a shortage of staff and a potential influx of inexperienced new recruits joining the sector, isn’t it time you looked at Apprenticeships as a solution to the gaps in your workforce?