SCOTTISH hospitality groups are among those backing a major UK-wide campaign designed to tackle hospitality industry staff shortages.
The Hospitality Rising campaign was launched last year by former Pret A Manger marketer Mark McCulloch and has now been officially backed by the Hospitality & Tourism Sector Skills Board as the official face of the industry’s biggest-ever recruitment campaign, with Scottish supporters including Buzzworks and DRG.
The campaign team has already secured funding of around £350,000 and is now attempting to raise up to £5 million to fund an extensive UK-wide recruitment campaign for the industry.
McCulloch said the aim of the campaign will be to “drive our message out to the UK public, tell all our fabulous stories and make hospitality a positive career choice for the very many, not the few”.
UK Hospitality chief executive, Kate Nicholls, said the campaign “cannot come soon enough”.
“Our latest research shows the issues of recruitment and skills are absolutely mission critical to the hospitality and tourism sectors,” said Nicholls.
“Many of our members are struggling with a significant level of vacancies; this campaign will enable hospitality to stage a vital intervention, and turn on a generation to the rich and varied roles and career pathways that our vibrant industry offers.”
