It comes as the organisation claims all businesses within the industry are affected by staff shortages, and struggling to attract and retain talent to help their business grow.
As such, HIT’s latest campaign hopes to find an ‘industry-wide solution’ for an ‘industry-wide problem.’
This involves “bringing the industry together to champion the varied career opportunities available and implement practical solutions.”
With under half of hospitality businesses having used their Apprenticeship Levy, and £1.28 billion of unspent Levy funding in the UK, HIT said ‘there’s an untapped opportunity to use this capital to tackle the skills shortage and protect the future of the sector.”
Managing director Jill Whittaker added: “Hospitality is one of the most vibrant and exciting sectors to work in yet we continue to face multiple challenges when it comes to dispelling the out-dated and negative perceptions of what a career in the industry entails.
“The year ahead is going to be a challenging one for everyone, so we need to do all that we can to protect our industry and provide aspirational career opportunities to the next generation of hospitality stars.
“That’s why (HIT has) launched the ‘Don’t Waste: The Future of Hospitality’ campaign.
“We want to bring the industry together to utilise its combined resources and support businesses of all shapes and sizes to provide high-quality development opportunities through apprenticeship programmes.
“Together, we have the power to make real change and protect the future of our industry.”
For businesses who want to get involved, HIT has created a pledge portal offering more information and a space for companies to transfer a percentage of their Levy fund.
Tim Adams, director of marketing and corporate sales at Bidfood – who has pledged a proportion of its Apprenticeship Levy to Springboard charity - commented: “Bidfood is delighted to support Springboard’s training and development initiatives by pledging a proportion of its Apprenticeship Levy fund to the charity.
“Additional capital can make such a significant difference to training capabilities.
“In fact, the 10% of our Levy pot being transferred is enabling 15 of Springboard’s employees (41% of its workforce) to enrol on a range of apprenticeships.
“Bidfood and Springboard have a longstanding relationship, and both share an ambition to successfully promote the foodservice and hospitality industry as a great place to work.
“The role training plays in achieving this is invaluable - not only by boosting the industry with greater skills, but by making it a more attractive career option by offering rich and meaningful development opportunities.
“That’s why Bidfood is behind HIT Training’s ‘Don’t Waste: The Future of Hospitality’ campaign and we encourage other Levy-paying businesses to make a pledge if they can.
“The impact training can have on other organisations and our industry is not to be missed out on.”
Chief Executive of the Institute of Hospitality, Peter Ducker, concluded: “This is a clever and effective solution to create a sustainable pool of hospitality professionals for the greater good of our growing industry.
“I congratulate the companies that have already pledged their support and encourage more to do the same.
“It is in all of our interests to invest in the large numbers of well-trained and motivated personnel that the UK hospitality sector will require going forward.”
More information on ‘Don’t Waste: The Future of Hospitality’ is available via: https://hittraining.co.uk/dont-waste-campaign.