The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond’s speech yesterday at the Conservative Party Conference announced a package of measures to support businesses to boost skills, growth and prosperity in the new economy.
Part of the speech outlined reforms to ensure the Apprenticeship Levy provides people with the skills they need to succeed.
Prime Minister Theresa May was busy on twitter yesterday sending out tweets pictured with Philip Hammond meeting young apprentices. The rhetoric from both seems well intentioned, but without more action and clarity, especially on Brexit the UK hospitality industry could face increased people and skills shortages.
Responding to the Chancellor’s speech at the Conservative Party Conference UKHospitality has welcomed the Government’s announcement that it will provide support for apprenticeships, management skills and retraining.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Phillip Hammond has announced that the Government will reform apprenticeships and increase Apprenticeship Levy funding by £95 million. The Government will also invest £20 million in networks to enable businesses to improve their management skills, with a further £11 million for training. The Government has also pledged £100 million for the first phase of the National Retraining Scheme which will be rolled out next year.
UKHospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls said: “With Brexit still providing a degree of uncertainty, it is good to see the Government acting to provide some support for businesses.
UKHospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls talking Brexit at the H&C EXPO Conference in July“One of the key challenges facing the hospitality sector, as well as other sectors, is securing the future of the workforce and driving skills and improvement. A package of support to help employers train, retain and improve their team members will be a welcome boost and should help hospitality businesses continue to provide great careers.”
How the UK hospitality and catering industry manages Brexit was the subject of much debate in July at the H&C EXPO conference: What does Brexit really mean for ‘Brand Britain’?
At the H&C EXPO conference Kate Nicholls, CEO, UKHospitality emphasised her personal support of the post-Brexit opportunity for the UK hospitality and catering industry. Nicholls joined industry leaders at the ‘Brand Britain in a post Brexit UK’ roundtable in July organised by Bartlett Mitchell’s Marketing Director Lin Dickens.