As part of the Think Again campaign Caterer and Hotelkeeper asked 160 industry professionals how they view their industry and how they think others view it. Here are the results…
What more can be done to encourage young people to consider hospitality as a career
“Expand the horizons – hospitality isn’t just hotels/bars/restaurants. It’s sales, client management, meetings, events.”
“More good publicity and not showing it as the ‘holiday job’ most people consider it to be.”
“Approach local schools/colleges and either invite them to your property for a show round and a chat or you visit the school/college and talk about your property and the industry.”
“Better and more involved apprenticeships. Colleges working more closely with the industry so the students get real experience, early on.”
“We need to engage with careers advisors and teachers in order to highlight the positive and rewarding nature of our industry.”
“Change people’s perception of uneducated and unintelligent people working in hospitality.”
“Give them more job skills that have a qualification attached, eg NVQs, college courses. Change the perception that hospitality is only something you worked in because you’re too stupid/lazy to find something else.”
“Young people need to be aware that the hospitality industry is an amazing career choice, full of fabulous experiences and opportunities, but the rewards are for the passionate and hard working.”
Employees in the hospitality sector feel well-rewarded and fulfilled in their careers, but do not believe that the outside world views the industry with the same eyes, making it harder to recruit young talent.
That’s the key finding from a new survey by Caterer and Hotelkeeper as part of the Think Again campaign, in partnership with recruitment specialist Caterer.com and vocational training provider Lifetime, supported by industry charity Springboard.
The survey of 160 hospitality professionals revealed that an overwhelming 83% feel they are in a fulfilling career, while 60% think they are well-rewarded. A total of 64% said they would encourage their own children to go into the industry.
Despite that, the vast majority (93%) think the hospitality industry suffers from a skills shortage, and 78% think young people are currently discouraged from entering the hospitality sector by teachers, careers advisers and parents.
Meanwhile, there were also concerns among nearly three quarters of respondents (72%) that there was not a sufficient number of good quality apprenticeships in the sector.
The results of the survey support Caterer and Hotelkeeper’s decision to launch the Think Again campaign, which aims to highlight the excellent opportunities a career in hospitality can offer.
Caterer and Hotelkeeper group editor Mark Lewis said: “This confirms what we have long believed – that the hospitality industry offers enjoyable, fulfilling careers and high levels of job satisfaction.
“At a time when youth unemployment sits around one million, it seems more important than ever to encourage young people to consider a career in hospitality.”
Engage with young people
“Over the next several months we will work towards making the case for this industry to them, as well as doing all we can to encourage operators to engage with young people and show them what is on offer.”
Commenting on the results of the survey, James Bennett, marketing communications manager at Lifetime said: “The results show a real pride in the industry, but the perception there is a lack of skilled work highlights the integral role apprenticeships have to play.
“Apprenticeships offer a real opportunity for employers to start addressing the existing skills shortage, while at the same time giving young people career prospects in a sector which is both fulfilling and rewarding for them to work in.”
Anne Pierce, chief executive of Springboard, said: “There are some powerful messages in this research, reinforced by the overall findings from our perceptions research with young people of school leaving age, which showed that 82% don’t know what they want to do when they leave school.
“However, 53% would positively consider a career in hospitality – which is counter to the view that young people are not attracted to the industry.”
There needs to be more PR on the potential rewards of the industry and the salary brackets people can reach globally, the image of long hours, no life needs to be put on the back burner
Expand the horizons – hospitality isn’t just hotels/bars/restaurants etc. It’s about sales, client management, meetings and events
Well I’m only 21, I started my restaurant career when I was 17 but still went to university to do an academic degree. Despite being given a good management position now that I have my degree, the whole way through university I was discouraged from taking on hospitality work because it’s perceived to be for people who cannot achieve anything else. I personally think this is a disgrace, but it’s up to us in the hospitality sector to ensure that we are presenting it as a viable and exiting career to enter in to.
Career talks with school kids
get staff to think beyond the long hours and let them see the rewards, many kitchen staff are only aware of complaints and not complements. Abusive chefs can also turn young staff off the industry
More good publicity & not showing it as the “holiday job” that most people consider it as!
Improve image work together and engage with schools increase work placements profile more role models
Quite simply, it is a case of approaching local schools/colleges and either invite then to your property for a showround and a chat or you visit the school/college and talk aboiut your property and the industry. Once this is heard by students then they get the truth about the industry as opposed to the media perception of our industry whch is long hours and poor pay etc.. Selling the industry is exactly the same as selling your property, when people know about it and what it has to offer they are more likely to come and try it.
Lose the red tape re business getting young people involved. I started at 14 years old and have been in the industry for 26 years. Too much HSE focus. Not enough on correct training and it becoming a way of life as it is in most other countries. You’re welcome to call or email me: granthawthorne@yahoo.co.uk
This is the only career choice that offers fluid movement between countries and continents. We are not considered to be professionals and few realise that we have trained hard to do what we have done.
More needs to be done to create robust graduate trainee programmes that are accredited and recognised as a route into the market for university leavers. At Bennett Hay we are looking to take on our first graduate this September and are developing a 1 year programme with the guarantee of a management position at the end of it. This follows the success of our apprenticeship scheme launched this April.
Better salary, more apprentices
I believe we need to engage with careers advisors and teachers in order to highlight the positive and rewarding nature of our industry. This is not a sector people should go into because they fail their A-Levels. We also need more positive media exposure on the economic contribution to UK PLC from the hospitality sector and how it can provide real opportunities to ordinary people to have extraordinary careers.
Maintain the high profile of making a difference and use of skills. do everything we can to promote the industry rewards and benefits so that skill is paid for and perception is not one of ‘servile workers’
More subject options at younger ages for school pupils, better work experience offered, closer relationships between colleges and employers
Catering should be introduced to young people better in schools, my experience was difficult. I never heard of catering and hospitality courses until it became 3rd choice for me. I wasn’t predicted good grades and was told by teachers to look for courses at college with didn’t require 4 A* to C and catering and hospitality was one of the only courses that only required 3 or 4 A* to D. I wanted to continue with my education and didn’t really have much choice but to join the course. If the hospitality section developed better awareness in schools about the rewards of beign in the industry and show young people that there’s a lot more to being a chef or restaurant manager. I believe that a visual insight into what happens daily would be really beneficial, young people could be shown how chefs prep for a dinner service or how housekeeping turn over room ready for new guests and how reception check in and out guest, this I believe would give young people better understanding.
Raising awareness of the benefits of the career and how it can be used as a fantastic springboard to so many roles.
Industry needs to change its perception with people in the UK as a second rate career path, in particaulr with Front of House roles, everyone today wants to be a chef because of the profile of chefs but the same has not happened with front of house and as such it is still percieved as a job people do if nothing else works out or as a gap between other jobs
I think people need to stop using as a gap for a move on to something else. On the whe it can be a fun and rewarding industry. I never understand why young people don’t won’t to move and go and work for the best.
Give them more job skills that have a qualification attached, eg NVQ’s, college courses. Change the perception that hospitality is only something you worked in because you’re too stupid/lazy to find something else!
More hands on approach in terms of advice given to young people re: hospitality and the rewards (even if they aren’t monetary)
Better and more involved apprenticeships. Colleges working more closely with the industry so the students get real experience, early on.
Change people perception of uneducated and non intelligent people working in hospitality! Most people think that u are in hospitality because you couldn’t do any better. They don’t recognised hospitality especially F.OH as a career .
It is breaking down the stigma that service is a second rate career, there is much being done and television plays a part in this and has done with regard to chef career. This will take time, more apprentiships and recognition of the years of training that it takes will break someof this view
There are plenty of positve messages and role models – but i feel not enough is done to highlight that it is not a 9-5 job! its hard graft but is very rewarding…..
We must all work closer with schools by encouraging work placements, internal and external visits, highlighting the fact it is the UK’s 5th biggest industry
Young people need to be aware that the hospitality industry is an amazing career choice full of fabulous experiences and opportunities, but the rewards are for the passionate and hard working.
Get the industry managers to go into secondry schools to shout out about what we do. Food is fashionable and so the industry needs to raise it,s profile.
Career days in schools led by experienced chefs and managers, more oppertunities for young people to gain work experience with pay.
Explain to careers teachers that you can’t eat sleep or drink on the internet!!
I believe we should use case studies and highlight stories of those who have achieved senior roles or run succesful businesses but may have come from humble beginnings or lacking in a formal eductaion.
Let them see how enjoyable it is and how hard work pays dividends. Explain the many highs as well as the lows – it may be hard work but it is so very rewarding and if you love playing Host with friends and family then this is the business for you. It is rarely boring as it changes every day and you learn a lot very rapidly
People need t experience the great opportunities that exist and see the possibilities. In this career yu can travel, meet incredible people and have experiences youd never thought possible.
Changing the image of our profession. I started cleaning glasses and worked my way up to GM over a number of years – it is the most amazing and rewarding job!
It is a career where your actions and abilities are rewarded and validated everyday through positive feedback from guests – no other profession provides this
More articles on how individuals have progressed and incomes you can achieve.
Offer more apprenticeships across the sector
Promote it for what it really is; fun, hardwork but with enormous potential.
Academically gifted children are discouraged from entering the industry. As a result employers do not have the same pool of talent to select from that other professions enjoy.
My friends and family members understand hospitality to be a thankless job with long hours, little pay and no rewards. I must admit at the start of my career I agreed, however as I have progressed up the ladder the remuneration and rewards have increased (no joy on the hours front as yet). I have been fortunate enough to experience things some people never will and all through working in hospitality.
Would you encourage your children to take up a career in hospitality
No – 57 (36%)
Yes – 103 (64%)
