New Training Programme to boost Hospitality Skills

New Training Programme to Boost Hospitality Skills Launched

A new training programme to provide young people in Northern Ireland with the skillset needed to kick start a career in the hospitality sector was launched by Diageo in June.

Guinness Learning for Life – Gateway to Hospitality is a free 15 day preemployment training programme which will help young people aged between 18 and 26 years old access employment in the hospitality sector, while investing in the skills needed to support the industry’s economic recovery.

The programme, developed in partnership with The Springboard Charity and leading hospitality business Sodexo, has 14 places available. The young people that participate will gain targeted industry and life skills, achieve an accredited industry qualification, be provided with support in CV writing and interview technique and be guaranteed an industry interview for a live job.

Matching high-potential individuals with vacancies within the industry to reduce the skills gap, the Guinness Learning for Life programme has taken on added importance with many young people having left the hospitality sector due to the impact of the pandemic.

Commenting on Diageo’s commitment to support the industry and the opportunity the programme presents to young people, Claire Hutchinson, corporate relations manager for Diageo in NI, said “At Diageo we are passionately committed to supporting the industry, ensuring it has the resources, facilities and expertise to reopen safely and recover from the pandemic, having invested €14m in the sector across the island of Ireland through Guinness’s Raising the Bar initiative.

“Our programme, Guinness Learning for Life – Gateway to Hospitality, will provide young people in Northern Ireland with the tools, training and skills in the key areas they need to gain employment and thrive in the hospitality trade.

“Following the devastating impact that the pandemic has had, the need to fill the skills gap has never been greater with businesses having been closed and young people, so crucial to the vibrancy of the industry, moving away to seek employment in other sectors.

“The industry and its value chain are crucial to the recovery and long term economic prosperity and it is good to see businesses back trading with customers through their doors following the unprecedented challenges of the last 15 months. However, these are small incremental steps towards the full return of the sector and programmes like Guinness Learning for Life will help to support the industry in providing the exemplary service for which is renowned the world over.”

Caitriona Lennox, NI Manager for The Springboard Charity, said: “We are truly delighted to be working in partnership with Diageo on the Gateway to Hospitality training programme with the collective approach being to raise awareness of the hospitality, leisure and tourism industry, encouraging young people to choose it as a real career option.

“Given the wide variety of course content, it is a fantastic opportunity to learn many new skills and gain industry accredited qualifications – all in just 15 days. Like this partnership, it is so important that organisations work in collaboration to raise awareness of the variety of opportunities within the sector and to promote it and its many roles.”

Pictured pre-pandemic.

“Following the devastating impact that the pandemic has had, the need to fill the skills gap has never been greater with businesses having been closed and young people, so crucial to the vibrancy of the industry, moving away to seek employment in other sectors.”