11th Feb 2011 - 00:00
Abstract
As National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) reaches its peak, the Recruitment and Employment Confederation’s (REC) group representing recruiters in the hospitality sector has weighed in to support the initiative.
The group is advocating apprenticeships as a vital route for attracting young talent to the industry. As part of the REC, the group has pledged its support and welcomed the government's goal to source 100,000 new apprenticeships by 2014. Commenting on the initiative Suzanne Letting, chair of REC Hospitality said: "As the figures in the latest Report on Jobs by the REC show, our industry is coming back after two extremely difficult years. Demand for both permanent and temporary staff rose at faster rates in January than we have seen for some time. "Although there are encouraging signs, on the ground we still face difficulties in finding suitable candidates. Skills shortages are an ongoing issue for our industry and new pieces of legislation like the immigration cap, introduced in April, are expected to make things worse. " She added: "In order to sustain growth in the hospitality sector we need to invest now in the future of our industry – our people. By giving highly motivated young individuals the opportunity to break into the world of work we provide them with much needed skills for employment. At the same time, businesses gain the opportunity to select, deliver and above all retain their talent once the necessary skills are acquired. In devising apprenticeship schemes we need to be able to provide clear career paths for our youth and make them feel that they have achieved something by being part of one. "Apprenticeships may take time to give a return on investment, but we need to take strategic decisions now in order to shape the face for our industry in the future."