Training Staff to Meet Hospitality Growth

Training Staff to Meet Hospitality Growth

The Hospitality Standards Institute is getting proactive about making sure there are enough young people trained in Hospitality in Wellington over the next five years to meet the city’s demands, particularly with two new substantial hotels being built in the city.

Chief executive officer, Ian Harding, says starting in Wellington, meetings are going to be held through-out New Zealand with local industry, training providers, schools, unions and employers, about the needs of the region for trained hospitality staff over the next five years.

“In Wellington alone we can predict that the two new Hotels will require 300 well trained staff between them, twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. This does not count the additional economic activity and jobs the new hotels will create just by being there”, he says

“Eating and drinking out sales amounted to $271 million in Wellington City in 2002 and for the year ended February 2003, there were 138,000 guest nights in the city, both domestic and international. These sorts of figures are not sustainable without a well trained staff on the ground ready to give guests professional service”, he says.

Ian Harding says the new initiative is called “LIAISE”, which stands for Local Industry Action In Supporting Education. “Liaise” is all about getting around the regions and meeting with all the stakeholders in the hospitality industry to set some strategy for future growth. Its all about planning in advance to have enough young people being trained in the various aspects of hospitality to support the opportunities being provided by those who are investing in hospitality”, he says.

“We are aiming through this consultation to align educational/training and recruitment needs with the aspirations of local businesses in the hospitality and tourism sectors around New Zealand”, he says.

The Wellington meeting will be held on the 8th May at the Mayors Reception Room, Council Buildings, Wellington at 9.00am. Those attending the meeting will include the Heads of Schools of Hospitality from WELTEC, Massey University, HR Managers from the top hotels: Intercontinental, Duxton and Accor; Key industry and local Government representatives and the Food and Service Workers Union.

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