UKH launches plan to tackle staffing crisis

UKHospitality has unveiled a new 12-point plan to tackle the current staffing crisis facing the sector.

Recent research from the trade association has confirmed widespread anecdota reports of an acute shortage in various roles, particularly front-of-house staff and chefs, 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 impact 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 the sector is facing but also looks at some medium- and long-term actions, outlining what both 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.

Department for Work & Pensions

The plan follows the launch of a new partnership between UKHospitality and the Department for Work & Pensions 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.

“Hospitality offers a wonderfully diverse range of roles and exciting careers and is a stable employer for millions of people across the UK," says Kate Nicholls, CEO of UKHospitality.

"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.”

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