By Denis Sheehan, 25 May 2021
People shortages in hospitality are becoming ever more acute as reopening progresses, with operators applying a range tactics to entice applications from a recruitment pool greatly diminished by Brexit.
The return to indoor hospitality began last week with reports of people shortages not just in hospitality trade media, but mainstream consumer media. The shortage of experienced people to deliver the hospitality everyone has waited patiently for is now everywhere.
It is indicative of the scale and scope of the problem that the Sunday Times, The Guardian et al consider it an issue for their readers. Not just the readers tasked with the delivery of hospitality, but those that want to enjoy it.
The problem can be summarised quite simply.
Everyone that works in hospitality from KP’s to restaurant managers and all roles in between are skilled and experienced people.
Post Brexit at least 355,000 skilled and experienced non UK national people were forced to leave their job in hospitality and residency in the UK.
During the pandemic, the hospitality industry was for all intents and purposes closed, so most people didn’t notice the loss.
Now, as hospitality decimated by the pandemic, starts to reopen everyone can see the issue first hand, operators and consumers.
Hospitality is unable to reopen fully and operate with at least 11% of its workforce excluded from the job market.
The ongoing difficulties facing international travel will lead to increased demand from consumers for UK holidays. This will necessitate more people brought into hospitality and trained for new jobs.
Even more simply.
- Demand for skilled and experienced people hospitality people is higher than supply.
- The gap of 355,000 people cannot be filled in the weeks and months ahead through ad hoc training.
- Demand for summer holidays in the UK increases, widening the gap.
- The outcome: Hospitality operators unable to meet demand. Consumers denied summer holiday hopes.
One Option, sign this Petition to Parliament: The Government should ease immigration restrictions on EU nationals and other migrant workers with experience of working in the UK hospitality industry, at least temporarily, immediately. This could be achieved by creating a new hospitality visa, or exempting non-UK nationals with relevant experience from immigration requirements.
News from the hospitality and catering industry is also being featured extensively in our Facebook and twitter social media accounts with the opportunity to engage with others in hospitality and share your views.
Hospitality & Catering News: Hospitality Jobs: Demand already higher than supply, with demand accelerating. – 25 May 2021 – Hospitality Jobs: Demand already higher than supply, with demand accelerating.
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