Talent Hub aims to mix things up Expert view

We are putting the finishing touches to an online ‘Tourism Talent Hub’ to help inspire careers in tourism and hospitality, and give more people the practical support they need to make their mark in our industry

The comprehensive new resource will showcase a diverse range of opportunities and career paths It will also enable people to access courses such as chef training, customer service, middle management, and much more

The county-wide Tourism Talent Hub will be aimed at students, parents, adults and businesses We’re developing the new

Finding out your recruitment needs

The next phase of the Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) is a fresh opportunity for you to help influence national policy and highlight the changes you’d like to see to local skills and training provision i Contact Molly Hill to get involved between now and June: mhill@cumbriatourism.org resource in partnership with Lakes College, Carlisle College, Kendal College, Furness College and the University of Cumbria

We ll be asking for your feedback through online surveys, 1-2-1 interviews and round table focus groups involving tourism operators and colleges/universities All different sizes and types of businesses can take part and it doesn’t matter whether you took part in the pilot project or not, as we’ll tailor the questions to delve further into the detail!

The project follows the initial research we carried out in 2022 as part of the Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP), to find out more about your recruitment and skills needs

It revealed a fragmented picture when it comes to local information and support for people hoping to develop future careers in the industry – with a clear need to bring practical help and resources together in one place

The Tourism Talent Hub is due to launch in April

How to tackle skills shortages

Anna Lovett, Employment Lawyer at Burnetts Solicitors

As we go through the process of redefining our relationship with Europe, there s still no harm in learning some lessons from our former EU partners The German economy has faced three major crises post war, and each time it s relied on the core principles of effective collaboration between employers-employees and training providers

Targeting schools and colleges

Alongside the new Tourism Talent Hub, we are continuing to work with a range of partners to help inspire college and university students.

That includes a strong tourism industry presence at regular careers events - such as the recent Jobs and Careers Fair in Kendal – and helping bring students from across the North and Midlands to our destination to inspire them for the future

There has been a clear identification of the skills needed not only in the short term but also in the mid to long-term In particular employers have sat alongside training providers to map out the required skills to ensure that economic development is built on strong foundations

This is why the Tourism Talent Hub is crucial at this time Using the principles of flexibility and engagement, local employers can source the talent they need, identify skills gaps and then tap into local providers to ensure that training is relevant and practical Career paths can then be mapped out and ultimately this level of embedment is the most effective way to ensure retention