Apprenticeships can help turn the tide on staff retention rates
HIT Training’s latest research shows how misconceptions around apprenticeships could be impacting their potential to fix industry-wide staff retention problems.
Two-thirds of the hospitality operators and caterers reading this will have experienced problems with staff retention since 2020. Last year was very much categorised as the ‘Great Resignation of 2021’, with many in the hospitality sector tempted away to other industries offering flexible work-from-home benefits and more sociable working hours.
So, how can the sector transform 2022 into the ‘Year of Retention’? Our research, which forms part of a new toolkit for hospitality businesses, shows that apprenticeships could be the answer. Promoting more training opportunities at every level and considering flexible training options will not only attract the best talent into the sector but will also help retain ambitious employees within companies that help them to thrive.
In fact, our insights show that nearly 80% of people in the sector would accept a job if it offered the prospect of doing an apprenticeship to develop their skills. In terms of the value apprenticeships can add to a business, almost 90% of hospitality employees say they would be more likely to stay in a role if their employer invested in their training from the outset.
Opportunities to flex apprenticeships around needs
There is a misconception that apprenticeships are a linear or formulaic approach to training, when in fact new flexible options can work around individual business and apprentice needs to ensure all parties get the most out of the efforts.
Take front-loaded training for example. This allows businesses to provide more training upfront, meaning apprentices can hit the ground running when certain skills are required from day one on the job.
Furthermore, with 70% of industry employees stating they would be more willing to start an apprenticeship or training course if they could condense it into a shorter period, accelerated apprenticeships also offer a great route. By accounting for specific business needs or skills that an employee already possesses, elements of the programme can speed up.
Allowing apprenticeships to work around the employee’s and business’ wants and needs, could see more fruitful efforts both in staff satisfaction, helping to assist with retention concerns, and a greater benefit to the enterprise.
For Jessica Lambert, Academy Partner at retirement village operator Audley Group, improving the skills of their employees via flexible apprenticeship routes at all career levels gives the company an advantage to achieve its goals – with HIT Training on-hand to guide them through the process.
“Fifty-two percent of our hospitality apprentices have either progressed to a new role or moved onto the next development programme,” she explains. “We’re now implementing apprenticeships throughout our business, from front line team members through to senior leaders.”
Unlock skills
“As well as playing a role in attracting and retaining valuable team members, apprenticeships have always been one of the best ways to unlock skills quickly and fast-track staff into positions where they can make a real impact,” explains Jill Whittaker, Managing Director of HIT Training. “New flexible training models under consideration by the Government are set to make this process even quicker. For example, front-loaded training will be invaluable in helping apprentices to hit the ground running and operate efficiently for their employers from the very beginning.”
Apprenticeships are available across all sectors and skills – from service team members and commis chefs, right through to team leaders, supervisors, department managers and those at director level. There are numerous flexible training routes available for hospitality employees, and that’s why HIT’s new toolkit demystifies some of the complexities surrounding apprenticeships, answering common questions many operators have about how they can maximise the opportunities and which route to take.
Find out which apprenticeship pathway will work best for your business with HIT Training’s See the Opportunity toolkit, which can be downloaded for free.