I don’t think anyone would disagree with me that tourism is vital to the Welsh economy with tourists spending around £14million a day. Wales has much to offer for all age groups and one of the many things that encourages people to visit Wales is the amazing array and quality of Welsh Food and drink and the Welsh hospitality that is always on offer.
A warm welcome, friendly, efficient and knowledgeable staff will ensure customers are happy and more than likely to return. There is only one chance to make a good impression and this matters as much in the Welsh Food and Drink hospitality sector as it does in any other business. But hospitality is not an area we can afford to get complacent about, because without our chefs, cooks, sous chefs, waiting staff, housekeeping staff and front of house managers etc. the hospitality industry would simply grind to a halt.
I think that what concerns me and is a topic I’ve written about in the past after discussing with people in the Welsh Food & Drink industry, is the fact that in Wales and the UK, the hospitality industry is not taken seriously as a profession, unlike in Europe where the Hospitality Industry is a respected career move. Wales cannot afford to have any gaps in the skills market in the hospitality sector and needs to work out what extra skills and training are needed for this workforce to enable Wales to compete with the UK and of course Europe.
For those of you that wish to enter the hospitality industry there are quite a number of options available and of course it’s a case of doing your research, getting out and talking to people at Colleges and Training Centres, Jobs Growth Wales and Career Wales, just check out what apprenticeships are available. These are the easiest options to find out what might work best for you, or perhaps it’s your son, daughter or a grandchild that is thinking about whether the hospitality industry is for them. But at the end of the day there’s nothing that actually beats getting some work experience locally and it is the easiest way to get practical experience of this industry. It’s also worth remembering that even learning the art of talking to strangers, people you have never met before, will stand you in good stead for the future as well as giving you lots of confidence too.
For those running a business and looking to up-skill their workforce the Skill Gateway for Business, which is hosted by Business Wales is there to provide information and support to help you improve your staff skills. ReAct is another avenue for businesses to research and more information can be found out on that programme through Business Wales. Plus Further Education Colleges have access to European Funds and are able to develop programmes to support employers to up skill their workforce. Staff training is so important and for hospitality businesses to have help available for staff training is a huge bonus and one not to be ignored.
Kath Rhodes
The Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths said:
“Food and drink go hand in hand with hospitality and tourism in Wales, training and skills is an integral part of these industries. As a Government we recognise this and understand the importance of ensuring our workforce have access to any training available”.
Follows are some views of in the Welsh Food and Drink industry:
Culinary Association of Wales
Q. What is the role of the Culinary Association of Wales do? What’s the advantage to chefs joining the CAW
A. The Association exists to promote excellence in the art of professional cookery within Wales and a partnership of Professional Chefs and Caterers to develop and raise the culinary profile of Wales, its establishments and those working within them through greater awareness, education and training.
Representing the Association with outstanding success at major international culinary competitions around the world are senior and junior Welsh National Culinary Teams. The teams comprise some of the most talented chefs who were either born in Wales or are currently working or studying here.
Welsh Food, culinary trends and the passion with which it is associated are fast becoming topics of enormous interest to the public, and while chefs have less mystery and are more accessible to the consumer than ever before, their skills are still held in extremely high regard. It is through your much valued membership to the Culinary Association of Wales (CAW) and by default to the World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS), that those skills are nurtured, supported and built upon.
We strive the length and breadth of our country promoting, serving and showcasing the talented Chefs we have in our proud kitchens. Members of the Culinary Association of Wales demonstrate their passion, flair and culinary skills at all the major competitions around the globe, across the UK and within Wales. Year – on – year our membership strengthens from North to Mid to South, Chefs from all levels join, re-join and even work their way to being elected officials in their regions. Join us today; www.welsh culinary association.com.
Cambrian Training Company
Q. You specialise in delivering Apprenticeships and Jobs Growth Wales opportunities for many sectors, but how would you convince a person to look at the Hospitality Industry for a career?
A. The hospitality industry is huge all over the world and especially here in Wales and holds amazing opportunities to use the transferable skills you will learn in incredible places, discover and explore new cultures and people.
It offers a wide range of careers from a chef, a bartender, to working in a cafe. The industry covers hotels, restaurants, cafes, fast food outlets, pubs and clubs to name a few and you don’t need any higher education qualifications to get started in hospitality, even if you’re aiming for management. But if that is the route you choose, there is a clear set of recognised hospitality qualifications that are fully accepted across the industry.
Regardless of the job you do within the catering and hospitality sector, there is huge scope to be creative. You are creating a product, be that food, drink or an experience and there is always scope and opportunity to create a new way of making it more memorable for guests.
You will make a difference in people’s lives as the business is all about people. A smile, a helping hand and that little extra detail. It is all about making people happy, that will bring you great job satisfaction.
Coleg Sir Gâr
Q. As a college you provide Apprenticeships, Foundation Apprenticeships and also the Professional Cookery and Food Service L1. But what qualities are you looking for to accept students on these courses?
Tourism in Wales is big business, and the demand for workforce is rocketing, with nearly 40,000people needed in the sector in Wales by 2020.
Tourists spend around £14 million a day, amounting to around £5.1 billion a year, resulting in a requirement for highly skilled and professional individuals being in demand.
Working in the industry can be extremely rewarding and, individuals wishing to enter the industry must possess skills and qualities like motivation, flexibility, individual flair, enthusiasm, creativity, and team working.
Business owners within the Tourism and Hospitality also sector suggest that the skills in most demand are customer-handling skills, closely followed by planning and organisation skills.
Elizabeth Forkuoh, a hospitality, supervision and leadership student at Coleg Sir Gâr is an exemplar student within the Hospitality industry. Elizabeth is set to represent the UK in Abu Dhabi this October at the World Skills international competition in Restaurant Service.
WorldSkills International takes place in cities around the globe and is the largest international skills competition.
Elizabeth hones the right aptitude and approach to working within the industry and, her success demonstrates that commitment and flexibility can open doors to worldwide opportunities.
More useful information:
www.careerswales.com/en/spotlight-on-tourism-hospitality-and-leisure/
- Tourism is big business in Wales. Tourists spend around £14 million a day, amounting to around £5.1 billion a year.
(Welsh Government, 2015)61% of Tourism and Hospitality businesses report customer handling skills as most in demand, closely followed by planning and organisation and team work skills. (People 1st, 2015) - 11,000 new Chefs are needed in the UK by 2022 with3,500 of those needed in Wales. (Working Futures 2012-2022).
- Nearly 40,000people will be needed in the sector in Wales over the next 5
(Welsh Government, 2015) - 9%of the workforce in Wales is employed in Tourism, Hospitality and Leisure. That’s 1 in every 11
