IfATE wants to hear from people working at pubs, cafes, hotels and fast-food chains including technical experts, senior managers, and leaders of staff to help transform skills training for the catering and hospitality sector.
This will build on the hospitality symposium IfATE held in November 2022 which marked the beginning of this unique opportunity to join an influential group dedicated to improving the way the skills system works.
IfATE has since launched a wider route review of current and future skills training needs for the sector, beginning with a survey which launched on the 8 June and will run until the 20 July. We now want to appeal to more people who work across catering hospitality, and care about how to train the next generation, to take part in this.
Speaking about this call to action, Joanna Moonan, IfATE’s deputy director overseeing training for this sector said: "The hospitality symposium in November 2022 laid the foundation for our exciting new review, empowering us to collaborate with large and small employers who are leading the way in shaping and reforming the skills training required in this sector.
“We currently have apprenticeships for everyone from chefs to bakers and hospitality managers and need to make sure wider skills training works for businesses and learners too.
“Numbers starting on them fell during successive lockdowns, but they grew by a third last year to over 10,000. We are determined to build upon those encouraging figures and symposium conversations last year, providing employers and key stakeholders with an even greater platform to voice their opinions. I would therefore like to take this opportunity to invite as many people as possible to take part in our survey and tell us what is working and what needs to be done better.”
In addition to filling out the survey, IfATE would also welcome contact via our website, especially from all those London small businesses who play such a vital role in our capital’s hospitality industry.
The catering and hospitality industry has faced well-documented challenges in filling its skills gaps. IfATE acknowledges the urgency of tackling this and firmly believes that by engaging with employers and stakeholders, a transformative change can be achieved. For example, the conversations with employers in November revealed that there was a need to update the level 2 hospitality team member and level 3 hospitality supervisor apprenticeships and related training.
We also want to offer better routes into the sector for school leavers and careers changers, which will support growth in the sector.
IfATE’s report, resulting from the route review, will feature recommendations made through the survey to ensure apprenticeships and wider technical qualifications meet the skills demands of businesses, foster sustainability, and attract fresh, diverse talent will be published later this year.
There are currently 10 apprenticeships for the catering and hospitality sector, with two more in development. They span level 2 (GCSE equivalent) to levels 4 & 5 (resembling a foundation degree).
You can complete the survey here: Catering and Hospitality Route Review survey June 2023.
You can also email us.