Source · Select Committees · Culture, Media and Sport Committee
Recommendation 14
14
Accepted
Paragraph: 62
Though staffing shortages have been exacerbated by the pandemic, the problems are long-term.
Conclusion
Though staffing shortages have been exacerbated by the pandemic, the problems are long-term. The level of vacancies in the tourism and hospitality sectors are directly impacting the quality of our offer, yet both sectors can take a teenager in a holiday job all the way up to management and leadership. There not only needs to be a clear message from Government that careers in hospitality and tourism are viable, long- Promoting Britain abroad 35 term and year-round, but also a strategy to fill immediate vacancies. We welcome efforts to create apprenticeships and the new T-Level in Catering in 2023 but believe that more could be done to support business-owners who are short of staff today.
Government Response Summary
The government recognizes labour and skills shortages and states that a number of measures are already in place to mitigate this risk, such as the Hospitality Sector Council and the Hospitality and Tourism Skills Board.
Paragraph Reference:
62
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
The Government recognises that labour and skills shortages, coupled with pent-up demand, pose a threat to wider recovery efforts. There are a number of measures in place to mitigate this risk and address the existing gaps in knowledge. For example, the Government launched the Hospitality Sector Council to oversee the delivery of the Hospitality Strategy in July 2021. The Government engages regularly with hospitality businesses and organisations to understand the pressing issues and challenges that they face, including labour market issues such as staff vacancies, wage levels, and migration issues. The Hospitality and Tourism Skills Board is the main forum under the Sector Council leading this work, in partnership between business and government. While the unprecedented circumstances posed by the pandemic left the sector facing many challenges, DCMS will continue to work with industry and across departments to encourage the transition from recovery through to resilience.