Only one in 10 students on hospitality courses view pubs as a long-term career option, according to research revealed exclusively at today's Publican Conference.
Many young people view the pub sector as great for holiday or short-term work - but the sector is losing out to other areas of the hospitality industry, including restaurants and hotels, in attracting them to work later into their lives.
The survey of over 300 students on hospitality courses revealed the challenges that pubs face in recruiting young people to the trade. While most of the students said they would consider pub work for a vacation job and 44 per cent said they would take a short-term job prior to a career, only 10 per cent thought of it as a career option.
The survey, conducted for recruitment body Springboard by Maritz Research, concludes that the sector needs to capitalise on students' perceptions of pubs as enjoyable workplaces.
Anne Pierce, chief executive of Springboard, said: "If you take this in the context of the new licensing laws and the possibility of pubs staying open for longer, the numbers of staff needed by pubs is going to rise.
"We need to persuade young people of the management possibilities and earning potential."
Maritz client services director Stephen Harwood said: "There is a poor perception of pubs as a career, relative to other hospitality jobs. Students see it as a fun environment but not necessarily one with good pay."
Licensee Deirdre Hall agreed that it was difficult to attract young people to work in pubs.
"Young people only really stay for holiday work," said Ms Hall, of the New Inn in Buckingham.
"They use it as a springboard to clubs. But we need their computer skills and young person's energy. We need to break down the barriers - this can be a fun, social career."