ETBs support Hospitality and Tourism recovery

In February 2021, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Simon Harris TD, launched two national upskilling programmes for employees in the hospitality and tourism sector, which were developed by SOLAS and the ETBs in consultation with the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF), Fáilte Ireland and the Regional Skills Fora.

According to the IHF, tourism accounts for €8.75 billion in annual spending in the economy. The sector was severely impacted by the pandemic, with many hotels and tourism providers losing staff to other sectors and finding it hard to recruit since they re-opened. To boost the retention and career progression of key staff, the two new ‘Developing Leaders for Hospitality and Tourism’ programmes provide highly subsidised upskilling, delivering critical team leadership and supervisory management skills to support business recovery and growth.

Since February, over 100 hotels and tourism employers expressed interest in upskilling their staff to support re-opening of the sector. Investing in people and their career development is a vital element in retaining talent and in attracting talent, which are critical factors in rebuilding the industry.

The training provided by the ETBs is flexible to meet the needs of both employers and employees. Many who started the programme in February paused their training during the busy summer months and will resume it now as the hospitality shoulder season approaches.

Speaking of the benefits of the ‘Developing Leaders for Hospitality and Tourism’ programme, Barbara Robinson, HR Director with the Glenroyal Hotel, Kildare said: “The development of our leaders is crucial in how engaged our team members are in their roles and how satisfied our customers are in the service we provide. This programme develops skills in employee engagement, customer service, digital capability, green agenda and how to effectively lead a team. Our industry will continue to reap the benefits of this long after this course is completed.”

The ETBs will continue to encourage more employers across the Hospitality and Tourism sector to avail of these programmes to upskill their staff which will positively impact their business recovery.

left to right - pictured outside the Glenroyal Hotel, Kildare, are staff members: Barbara Robinson, HR Director; Ted Robinson, General Manager; Ramute Kairiene, Front Office Manager; Natasha Pavlin, Spa Supervisor; Pablo Bernardo, Head Chef; Kasia Rampold, Café Manager.
left to right - Outside the hotel's Shoda Café: Kasia Rampold, Café Manager; Tracy Bright, Senior Café Assistant; Alex Kelly, Catering Supervisor.

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