Industry Collaboration Launches Talent Hub to Inspire and Retain Next Generation of Hospitality Professionals

To inspire the next generation of hospitality professionals, a new Talent Hub has been launched by HIT Training with the aim of upskilling and engaging the younger generation in careers in hospitality.

Despite the current COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, recruitment and careers website, Get My First Job, has started to see an increase in students looking for career opportunities and apprenticeships in hospitality. To help the next generation become job-ready for when the industry reopens and to provide inspiration and advice on jobs in the sector, the Careers in Hospitality Talent Hub has been created in collaboration between HIT Training, Get My First Job, Hospitality Jobs UK and Flow Hospitality Training.

Candidates joining the Careers in Hospitality Talent Hub will gain access to a suite of different resources that will help to enhance their CVs. This includes a selection of free e-learning Level 1 courses on subjects such as food safety, health and safety and customer service, as well as job-specific courses for front and back of house job roles. Those who sign up will also have priority access to apply for hospitality apprenticeships and job vacancies as employers start looking to recruit again in the future and, for apprentices who have been made redundant, they can register for assistance in finding a new role and continuing their qualification.

Hospitality employers are also set to benefit from the Careers in Hospitality Talent Hub by having access to passionate hospitality hopefuls with an increased level of industry-specific knowledge – currently there are over 8,500 candidates on Get My First Job who have registered a strong interest in a career in hospitality. Get My First Job also provides an online face-to-face interview platform to support employers looking to fill positions now and in the future, whilst social distancing measures are in place.

Jill Whittaker, Managing Director of HIT Training – the leading specialist training and apprenticeship provider for the UK’s Hospitality, Hotel and Catering industry – said: “The hospitality industry offers a variety of rewarding and exciting career paths. We don’t want young people to become disengaged with the hospitality sector because of concerns over the Coronavirus impact on the industry – particularly as we’re seeing so many actively searching for career routes in the sector during this time.

“The Careers in Hospitality Talent Hub is a fantastic way for aspiring hospitality workers to begin learning their craft and preparing for their career path ahead. They’ll be able to strengthen their CVs and access free e-learning courses to gain the skills they need to give them an edge when the hospitality job market fully reopens.”

Hayley Kyle, Client Account Director at Flow Hospitality Training, said: “We are thrilled to be involved with our partners at HIT Training and be able to provide support in the form of e-learning modules, offering engaging and certificated online training as part of the Careers in Hospitality Talent Hub. We have been overwhelmed by the positive reactions of the hospitality industry during this crisis and look forward to engaging with the future generation of hospitality professionals.”

David Allison, CEO of Get My First Job, added: “At the start of the crisis we began to survey the young people accessing our services. An overwhelming 73% said they felt COVID-19 would affect the way they searched for their first role and when asked what support they really wanted to see, the most common response was information from or about employers.

“For those considering the hospitality sector as their chosen career, times are even more uncertain. But this project is exactly what young people are telling us they want to see. By collaborating with HIT Training, Hospitality Jobs UK and Flow Hospitality Training, we’re helping the next generation of hospitality recruits make the most of the time available to improve their employability skills and knowledge. It’s also about providing visibility of opportunities when they arise and, most importantly, reassurance from the sector that things will bounce back and that their individual energy and enthusiasm will once again be urgently needed by the sector.”

Dawn Redman, Founder & Director of Hospitality Jobs UK, commented: “Raising the profile of hospitality during this challenging time is absolutely essential and to show that, even through tough times, hospitality is still one of the biggest employers across the UK offering exciting opportunities and successful career paths.”

For more information on the Careers in Hospitality Talent Hub, please visit: https://www.getmyfirstjob.co.uk/CareersInHospitality.aspx

For employers looking to advertise their hospitality apprenticeships via the platform, please contact: HIT Training on 0800 093 5892 or email [email protected]