Raising Funds for Hospitality Skills Planning

An Overview

Drastic times call for drastic measures. We’re calling for a rewview of training in Hospitality for all NEETs in the UK, to help boost the skills, employability and mental health of the nation’s young people.

The UK workforce is in crisis - faced with a future generation of nearly 1 Million people classed as NEETs - Not in Education, Employment or Training, between the ages 16-24 years old - a new peak in 2024 - and every day they remain NEET they risk deteriorating physical and mental health, as well as diminished social skills and career prospects.

Hospitality is the UK's third biggest Industry and is renowned for giving young people their first experience into the world of employment and gifting them with experiencing the everyday need to understand and develop work ethic, communication skills, numerous other inter transferable skills with friendliness and kindness at the heart of what we do!

We at the @theHospitalityHero want to take this challenge to central Government and our Industry to propose a new training opportunity for all those labelled NEET and give them a 12 month government backed introduction to Hospitality, with a program of Hospitality work provided by Good/Certified employers of Hospitality.

Our first ask is for YOU to help us fund the research of this project - to help build up our case for the Government, establishing the criteria, the framework and the delivery infrastructure to make this possible.

__________________________________________________________

The Problem & Solution in more detail

We’re hurtling towards a worrying future -of an increasing number of disengaged young people, growing up in a virtual world, with limited social skills, stunted career prospects, mounting mental health problems and plummeting self worth.

Every day these young people are not supported, we are failing them. Studies show that time spent NEET can have a detrimental effect on physical and mental health, and increase the likelihood of unemployment, low wages, or low quality of work later on in life. (Ref (https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn06705/#:~:text=Studies%20have%20shown%20that%20time%20spent%20NEET%20can,who%20were%20NEET%20in%20January-March%202021%20were%20unemployed.)

They need our helping hand, and we need theirs.

Every day these young people are not supported, we are also failing Britain - the next generation are the heroes of the future - we need them to help make Britain great and to continue the service industry we are known and loved for. Great British hospitality is part of our heritage - we’re losing it, it’s dying. Social skills are dying, communication skills are dying, - and hospitality - an industry which is the backbone of Britain, is dying.

We are failing our heroes of tomorrow - many of whom struggle with confidence around communication skills, feel unwanted by the world due to struggling to get work, and are living lives which see them increasingly in isolation, connected through screens rather than community.

The power of hospitality could well be the answer - as an industry we can help, but we can’t do it alone.

“As we continue to rack up the numbers of young people being classified as NEETS I think we’ve gone past the point of no return of leaving their futures to fate. Drastic action is needed to re-engage and support these young people and I 100% believe Hospitality can be the answer -it has something to offer everyone - but the only way to present such opportunity is for the Government to support it.”

“I believe the qualities needed in hospitality bring together old fashioned British values with skills of young people today -it’s all about connection. Being kind, caring, passionate and honest - and being hospitable is as much about having a chat, getting to know a customers favourite drink and taking photos of them that they can post on Insta, as it is top level service from waiting staff or the kitchen team. It’s hard work but it’s fun, and a very social industry to work in, building a sense of belonging through teamwork.”

“There are jobs there, however, the hospitality industry can't afford to train people to the levels required - without some help. This is where Government initiatives need to lie - allocating funds to enable hospitality operators to develop people so we can reduce the number of young people out of work, AND get back to being best in class in the UK when it comes to hospitality.”

The art of hospitality can work wonders. Let’s enable it.