2000 hospitality workers to participate in scheme over the next ten weeks
TWO thousand Scottish hospitality workers are to take part in an online training programme after the scheme secured additional funding from the Scottish Government.
The Tourism and Hospitality Talent Development Programme was launched last month, offering workers training in leadership, management and supervisory skills. It will be delivered by the Hospitality Industry Trust (HIT) Scotland and the Scottish Tourism Alliance (STA).
Initially, the programme was limited to 950 places, meaning over a thousand applicants had to be turned away. However, more funding has now been secured through the Scottish Government’s National Transition Training Fund, meaning all 2000 applicants will be able to participate.
The training will take place online over the next ten weeks.
David Cochrane MBE, chief executive of HIT Scotland, said the programme will be “the biggest mobilisation of online learning of this type, ever seen in Scotland”.
“The fact that 2000 industry leaders, managers and supervisors across Scotland have stepped up to participate, demonstrates that there is a burning desire for continuous professional development,” said Cochrane.
“The collaboration to bring this inspirational programme to the industry has been immense and the transformational outcomes expected will give our people the skills and mental resilience to hit the ground running and positively support the recovery when it comes.”
STA chief executive Marc Crothall said the volume of applications “is testament to the passion for learning and development within our industry and the desire within Scotland’s tourism workforce to remain within the sector”.
“Life has changed so much from everything we knew, our ‘new world’ will look entirely different, as will Scotland’s tourism product and the way that people choose to experience our vast and varied assets,” said Crothall.
“There is one constant – our people; very few of them are doing what they should be doing and what they love to do right now but the demand for places on the programme from people within every sector of our tourism industry demonstrates that they are ready to embrace the opportunity to rebuild together.”
