Skilling up with EAST: A new approach

VEE’s Visitor Economy Skills Group, led by West Suffolk College, has spearheaded a Visitor Economy Network Initiative (VENI), a first for the region and an important part of the skills offer. It was awarded £1.25m from the European Social Fund.

The VENI partnership, comprising colleges and private and public sector stakeholders, has organised more than ten tourism career events in 2022, and is beginning to put the components in place for an East Academy for Skills in Tourism (EAST).

A virtual establishment, EAST will reach out to all parts of the sector and communities and will be organised by a coalition of Further Education colleges.

12-point manifesto for the Skills Academy.

1 A Skills Academy for all ages, not just young people. 2 Colleges will lead a campaign to demonstrate the breadth of careers available in the sector.

3 Develop a campaign to promote apprenticeships (‘a job with training’) within the sector for employers and people considering a career in the industry.

Currently awareness of the opportunities and flexibility of apprenticeships is poor. 4 Create a Visitor Economy Umbrella

Programme for college students on any course. A programme might include additional qualifications such as World

Host, opportunities to engage with businesses, work experiences and job opportunities. 5 Work with schools to redouble efforts to inspire children about the sector and raise awareness among teachers about the breadth of jobs available. 6 Build on the VENI careers events with a complete programme that enables youngsters to engage with business. 7 Use ICANBEA to promote the sector and act as a catalyst for job opportunities. 8 Produce a brochure highlighting many of the different careers in the sector aimed at people of all ages. 9 Promote the latest industry data. 10 Use Center Parcs as a champion of collaborative working, encouraging other businesses to participate. 11 Explore funding opportunities to go beyond VENI and establish EAST. 12 Explore short term funding, possibly through Shared Prosperity Fund, to engage businesses and establish a skills and careers alliance for the sector.

What will EAST look like?

Visit East of England sees this as an opportunity to set a new agenda for tourism, hospitality, and visitor economy skills - and a chance to encourage collaboration across colleges in the region. Employers say they need problem solvers, communicators, and customer service ambassadors. The Skills Academy will reflect these traits - all students going through the Academy will gain experience in real workplaces and will encounter real customers in their learning journey. The manifesto provides a framework for the foundations of a Skills Academy. It focuses on all age groups, makes a commitment to reach out to all businesses across the visitor economy and recognises the importance of awareness raising across the region - inspiring young and old to consider careers in one of the many roles within the visitor economy. The Skills Academy is not a place. It is not a set curriculum either. Rather it is a visible collaboration between willing colleges in the region to work together to offer people in their catchment areas an opportunity to explore a career in the visitor economy. In practice this means a range of additional qualifications will be offered to anyone joining the academy. These will include World Host customer service, compliance qualifications such as food safety and first aid, as well as short courses to improve awareness and understanding of different sectors within the visitor economy, eg local foods appreciation, sustainability, digital marketing. There will be an opportunity to work in a business representing the visitor economy, and a commitment to research the sector and become an ambassador for the sector.

Participating Colleges will be at the heart of the academy, but businesses need to provide leadership and guidance.

Skills Academy stakeholders will include teachers, entrepreneurs and people of all ages.

Small businesses: providing access to a human resource facility which will take the complication out of recruitment and allow young people and returners to the labour market to experience work in, for instance, small restaurants and hotels across the region. These small businesses will be able to access specialist HR recruitment support to help them prosper and grow. Large businesses: providing them with labour throughout the year, upskilling existing staff and developing the next generation of managers from among new entrants to the industry. Colleges: providing them with a clear framework for engagement with the sector - offering work experience, career mapping, pathways to management and close relationships with local employers.

Local authorities and destination

organisations: providing a platform to invest in skills, support local businesses, and raise industry awareness. Older people: for those keen on a return to work, it will provide them with a structured opportunity to experience different roles across the sector and to gain skills and develop character strengths to help them progress in the sector of their choice. Young people: for those studying any course at college, it will provide them with an academy framework to boost their careers and prepare them for work in many different sectors of the visitor economy. The Academy wants to establish a Passport scheme so young people can log their work experience and qualifications, create digital profiles and present themselves to the industry professionally. Children: for younger students unaware of what the visitor economy offers, it will provide a gateway to different sectors and raise awareness of the interesting jobs available. Teachers: especially those in Further Education, to help them develop professionally, learn about all parts of the visitor economy and widen their teaching opportunities and career development.

Entrepreneurs: those people who have a passion for service and wish to innovate to succeed. The Academy will provide mentoring support, encourage sector networking, and seek out funding support to enable people to start and grow their business ideas.

A Skills Academy Day at Center Parcs for West Suffolk College students

Center Parcs have made a commitment to be part of the Skills Academy and they will work closely with West Suffolk College to give students from all backgrounds and studying different courses the opportunity to experience the visitor economy at the sharp end. In September 2022, business students were put through their paces at a special Skills Academy Day. In this inaugural event, 30 students competed for places in a new Skills Academy Ambassador programme. Center Parcs staff were on hand to observe, challenge and judge students to see which ones showed the commitment and enthusiasm for a place in the scheme. Staff spoke about their own career journeys, many starting with entry level roles before progressing on to management with long term career prospects. Many businesses like Center Parcs provide a fast and flexible route into management.

How will EAST work?

The Academy feeds into other courses. It provides work experience across the visitor economy. It builds up key skills over a year. A range of short courses need to be passed during the year. A case study will be produced for every student documenting their skills journey - and this career enhancing story will be promoted on the EAST website.

Next steps… in 2023.

Throughout 2023 we will: Strengthen the partnership between colleges. Create a new curriculum for the Visitor Economy. Build new relationships with schools.

Continue to raise profile through events. Develop a cohesive offer under the Skills Academy brand.

Local Flavours

The Skills Academy relies on partners across the region to raise awareness of this creative sector and Local Flavours, with VENI funding, continues to be instrumental in bringing businesses into the arena, championing local food and drink, and inspiring people from across the region to see the value that the sector brings to the economy.