People 1st and the Hospitality Guild are co-ordinating a comprehensive, industry-wide bid for the hospitality industry’s share of £250 million funding within the government’s Employer Ownership Fund to improve skills in the workforce. Both organisations are calling on employers to send words of support for the bid, which will be submitted on 28 March 2013, to increase its chance of success.
Government invitation
Through the Employer Ownership Fund, the Government is inviting applications from sectors like hospitality to create ‘Industrial Partnerships’ – a representative group of employers, educators and professional bodies that will take a wider, long-term responsibility for skills development within an industry.
These partnerships will challenge the current mind-set and look for innovative ways of delivering skills and professional development within their sector.
If the Hospitality Guild and People 1st bid for funding is successful, it will enable continued progress on:
• Developing qualifications and training programmes that ultimately contribute to the bottom-line
• Accrediting the best training that delivers proven results
• Delivering an innovative information and careers website
• Building on the success of the Hospitality Guild as the umbrella organisation bringing together professional bodies to work collectively to develop and signpost the best solutions
Critical moment
Suzy Jackson, executive director of the Hospitality Guild, believes this is a critical moment in time to improve perceptions of hospitality as a career of choice and challenge Government thinking and current investment for skills in the industry.
She commented: “If we are unsuccessful in establishing an Industrial Partnership, we believe it will be harder for individual employers to access Government funding. The Government does not recognise our sector as critical to growth, compared with aerospace or advanced manufacturing, but the credibility of hospitality and tourism to not only buck the economic trend, but support the UK out of recession, is significant.
Employer support needed for success
“The money is there and we have the expertise and credibility to present a compelling pitch, but we need support from as many employers as possible to unlock this vital funding for skills development.
“The Hospitality Guild has already successfully championed collective partnerships and working together to build a single marketplace for professional development over the past year. People 1st has the expertise of qualification development, knowledge of skills funding and programme delivery. Employer support is the critical piece of the jigsaw to achieve the highest chance of success.”
What you can do – now
Employers can back the bid by emailing martin-christian.kent@people1st.co.uk pledging their support. There is no money involved – all that is required is words of support and agreement that the company’s name can be listed as a supporter in the bid submission.
The Employer Ownership Fund also provides an opportunity for employers to receive funding directly – particularly for innovative solutions that address specific skills needs, such as delivering apprenticeships across seasonal businesses or bite-sized management and leadership programmes.
Although separate to the broad industry support the Hospitality Guild and People 1st are harnessing, ideas for direct funding reinforce hospitality and tourism’s commitment to professional development and both organisations are offering to advise individual employers on this opportunity.
More details are available by contacting Suzy Jackson at suzanne.jackson@hospitalityguild.co.uk /07740 697022 or Martin-Christian Kent at martin-christian.kent@people1st.co.uk /07770 733393.