Offering more part time senior positions and showcasing real life examples of progression were among many suggestions of ways to help diversify and promote the UK’s growing hospitality industry, at the second session of the UK Hospitality Commission 2030 which took place on Tuesday (12 June 2018) in the Houses of Parliament.

Parliamentarians heard from Courtney Avery, a Youth Employment UK Ambassador, Nikki Kelly, Acting CEO and Director of Programmes at Tottenham Hotspur Foundation, Sunder Katwala, Director of British Future and Conor D’Arcy, Senior Research and Policy Analyst at the Resolution Foundation.

A number of ideas to help promote the industry were discussed such as offering more part time senior positions, reviving the Saturday job, developing work schemes that complement older workers and showcasing real life examples of progression. Speakers also called for the Government to put hospitality front and centre of the Industrial Strategy.

Chair of the second evidence session, and Chair of the APPG for Youth Employment, Michael Tomlinson MP said: “It was brilliant to hear from a variety of speakers on how we can work together to promote hospitality across the UK.  I was particularly interested to hear Courtney’s comments on why young people don’t view the industry as a long-term career path, and I look forward to working with the Commission to develop tangible recommendations to address this issue.”

UKHospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls said: “The hospitality sector is diverse in workforce and reach across the UK. The industry employs more women than men and is the second largest employer of EU workers and the fifth highest as a percentage of the workforce. Now is the time for Government to step up and support our industry in developing the hospitality workforce of the future.”

The Commission, led by UKHospitality, aims to promote understanding of the importance and potential of the UK’s hospitality sector and brings together a wide range of hospitality employers and All-Party Parliamentary Groups, along with other stakeholders, industry bodies and authorities, to deliver an employment foundation for the sector.

The third session will be held in early July, focusing on education and skills in the industry, and will be co-chaired by Gordon Marsden MP, Shadow Education Minister and Chair of the APPG for Tourism, Leisure and Hospitality Industry and Nic Dakin MP, Chair of the APPG for Education.