New Skills Academy For Hospitality Industry In United Kingdom | Seven Associations Create New Alliance To Drive Up Craft Training
A new alliance of the hospitality industry’s professional craft associations has been established under the aegis of the British Hospitality Association. The alliance – to be called the Hospitality Skills Academy – has brought together seven professional craft associations:
A new alliance of the hospitality industry’s professional craft associations has been established under the aegis of the British Hospitality Association. The alliance – to be called the Hospitality Skills Academy – has brought together seven professional craft associations:
- Academy of Culinary Arts
- Academy of Food and Wine Service
- Amicale Internationale des Chefs de Reception (A.I.C.R.)
- Clefs d’Or (Society of Golden Keys)
- Craft Guild of Chefs
- United Kingdom Bartenders Guild
- UK Housekeepers Association
Its aim is to raise the profile of craft training and create a body that gives professional recognition to those working at craft level in hospitality. In doing so, it aims to increase both the quantity and quality of practical skills training in the industry.
Its main focus will be to increase the provision of practical skills training for all those working at NVQ Levels 1-3. In partnership with employers, it will provide workplace mentor support, with colleges providing tutor support and practical skills testing.
By establishing a framework within which all the member associations can work more closely together, it will be able to deliver more craft skills and mentor training opportunities than would be possible if each association acted independently.
The Academy will work closely with People 1st, the Sector Skills Council, to set training standards and to develop craft qualifications which the industry will value. It will also aim to give the seven associations greater access to funding and support for craft skills training and qualifications.
The Academy will be administered by Hospitality and Leisure Manpower, which is responsible for managing the Best Practice Forum. The BHA will steer its development in its first year.
At the launch of the Academy today, Bob Cotton, chief executive of the BHA, said that the industry’s greatest staff shortage was at craft level and the BHA was delighted to be involved in creating the Academy.
“There has been too much emphasis in the past on promoting academic education, with the result that vocational education and training has not commanded the attention it demands,” he said. “In the hospitality industry, craft training is critically important – yet catering courses are being closed down for lack of funds and too few students.
“We are not recruiting – or training – enough young people in either the front or back of house – and that’s where the real shortage of skilled people lies.
“We need to place greater emphasis than ever before on vocational training and lobby the government to encourage more craft courses in our colleges of Further Education. The industry has to play its part by taking training more seriously, but we need a greater commitment from government to fund more vocational courses.”
David Battersby, managing director of Hospitality and Leisure Manpower, said that new approaches to practical skills training had to be developed.
“By 2010, the government is forecasting the industry will have grown to an annual turnover of £100bn, and will have created an additional 500,000 jobs. How we recruit, train and qualify people to fill these jobs is the biggest challenge facing us.
“Apprenticeships now need to be more flexible than before and there must be more focus on practical skills training on-the-job, complemented by short, off-job training seminars, which will give credits towards qualifications.”
James Brown, chief executive of the Academy of Food and Wine Service, who was instrumental in creating the Hospitality Skills Academy, said that it was a huge step forward for the industry.
“There has never been an organisation before to promote craft training across all the industry’s specialisms,” he said. “I am delighted that seven associations have been able to come together to help deal with the biggest problem facing employers – the lack of skilled staff. The Academy is the first step on a long road – but a very positive step.”