The Institute of Hospitality Youth Council was set up to support young people entering hospitality as a career, and developing their careers within it. Addressing hospitality’s biggest short and medium term issue, recruitment and retention.
It is only through providing young people with a career they can develop into and grow within that we as an industry can sow the seeds of recovery post pandemic.
It will take many years, there is no immediate fix. Enhancing the first hand experience of all people in the hospitality workplace will be essential. Employment standards across the industry need to be set including salaries, continuous professional development, and most importantly personal experiences. People need to enjoy going to work, doing their job, and supported to be their best.
Continuous professional development is the foundation upon which the Institute of Hospitality was founded upon in 1938.
The establishment of the Institute of Hospitality Youth Council last year rightly brings a 21st Century focus on what is now needed. It was created and launched by IoH CEO Robert Richardson FIH, who is wholly committed to supporting young people entering into and developing their careers within hospitality.
Explaining his thinking behind the formation of the Youth Council Richardson told us: “For me a career in hospitality is one that not only enables personal growth on many levels, but it generously enables us all to be hospitable. To make people’s lives more enjoyable.
“As a hotel GM nothing made me happier than seeing smiles on guests faces, and the satisfaction from the members of the hotel team that created them.
“I always tried to instil in every colleague I worked alongside the importance of making people happy as our ultimate objective.
“Developing a culture that delivers happy customers has been the backbone of every successful hospitality business I ever worked with, and that nurtured my love of our great industry.
“Bringing this culture objective into the training and development of young people entering our industry is vital to our success. And that was fundamental to my objective to establish the Institute of Hospitality Youth Council.
“The provision of an environment to bring this culture to young people in hospitality of course needs funding. Our membership support this in many ways financially through many initiatives we have set up in the past year.
“We launched The Institute of Hospitality Golf Day in association with our good friends at Caterer.com in October 2021. The support from our membership, and many others has seen the day almost full to capacity. It has also seen members provide incredibly generous gifts for auction after dinner at The Belfry, where the day takes place.
“So, Thank you to the teams taking part…
• Agilysys
• Aramark
• Bankbrokers
• BM caterers
• Caterer.com
• Closeburn Hospitality
• Compass UK & Ireland – Foodbuy
• Edgbaston Park Hotel
• ENS, A Havis Company
• H&C News
• Hand Picked Hotels – Stanbrook Abbey
• Housekeeping Today
• Kitchen Brains
• Meiko UK
• The Grand York
• Two Services
• Williams Refrigeration
“And thank you for all the auction items generously donated by…
• Champneys Eastwell Manor Kent
• IL PAMPERO
• Maryculter House
• The Hari
• The Lowry Hotel
• The Manor House Golf Club, Exclusive Collection
• The Ritz London
“The day will see a day of golf take place on the only golf course in the world to have hosted 4 Ryder Cups.
“The evening will see a dinner from the chefs at The Belfry delivering true culinary excellence – where framed certificates will be presented to all teams that took part – and trophies to the winning team, nearest the pin, and the longest drive. The auction will then take place and all funds raised on the night will go to further funding our Youth Council.
“There is one four-ball team still available, so if you enjoy golf, great food, and would like to support our Youth Council please complete the form below and the organising team from H&C News will be in touch.”