UKHospitality unveils 12-point plan to tackle staffing crisis

UKHospitality has unveiled a 12-point plan to tackle the staffing crisis facing the hospitality industry.

Recent UKHospitality research has confirmed widespread anecdotal reports of an acute staff shortage in various roles, particularly front of house and chef roles, which in some areas is preventing sites opening and forcing businesses to restrict their trading hours. While there are a variety of reasons for the current shortage, ongoing lack of confidence in the hospitality sector is having a damaging effect on recruitment efforts.

To redress this shortage, UKHospitality has produced a comprehensive 12-point plan that aims to help attract people to jobs and careers in the sector and fill vacancies. The plan focuses on short-term solutions but also looks at some medium- and long-term actions, outlining what employers can do and how the government can support these efforts.

This includes short-term actions to boost collaboration between the industry and government, schools, colleges and universities, along with broader measures to improve perceptions of the sector as an employer, introduce new qualifications and grow the pool of available workers in the economy.

The plan follows the launch of a new partnership between UKHospitality and the Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) to promote jobs in hospitality, which saw sessions run by work coaches in every region of England, as well as across Scotland and Wales earlier this month.

Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UKHospitality, said: "Hospitality offers a wonderfully diverse range of roles and exciting careers and is a stable employer for millions of people across the UK. Staff at all levels play a crucial role delivering world-class hospitality at the very heart of their communities, with employers large and small offering high-class training schemes, apprenticeships and career development pathways.

"However, it's clear that we need to attract new people to our sector and highlight the benefits of a job or career in hospitality. Prior to the pandemic, we employed 3.2m people and were the third-largest private sector employer in the UK. By working closely with government on implementing this plan, the sector can restore confidence and bounce back even stronger, so hospitality is once again seen as a dynamic and exciting sector of growth, and a provider of fulfilling careers that will help power the UK's economic and social recovery."

The plan includes:

Short-term

1 Government to commit as early as possible to remove all restrictions and restore confidence in working in the sector.

2 Government – central and local – and industry to highlight the looming deadline for Settled Status applications (30 June) and reassure workers overseas that they can return.

3 Industry to work closely with DWP and others to promote jobs and careers in the sector, with government ministers talking up the sector at every opportunity.

4 Industry to engage with secondary schools, colleges and universities to encourage their students into the sector when term finishes.

5 Industry will continue to work in collaboration with DWP to make sure Kickstart works to the fullest for young people and the sector

6 The Treasury to immediately freeze the liquidation of employers' Apprenticeship Levy funding to allow industry to invest in high-quality training.

7 UKH to facilitate additional promotion of CareerScope website.

8 Hospitality and tourism sector to launch recruitment and retention campaign.

Medium-term

9 Expedite the introduction of a catering T-level and commit to a hospitality T-level.

10 Government to amend the Shortage Occupation List and ensure that chefs and other vital roles are returned to the list, alongside a Youth Mobility Scheme.

11 Make permanent the reduced rate of VAT and double the Employer National Insurance Contribution threshold to support businesses to grow and pay higher wages.

Longer-term

12 Review the impact of the new immigration system and its effect on the competitiveness and recovery of the hospitality sector and the wider economy.

Photo: Heidi Besen/Shutterstock