Many recruits to pub sector lack necessary skills

The UK's pub and restaurant sectors are experiencing a 'talent hole', despite the recession making it easier for companies to hire and retain staff, according to a new report.

According to the latest 'State of the Nation' from People 1st, the organisation which oversees the development of management and customer service qualifications, a growing number of employers in the hospitality industries are reporting that people applying for jobs do not have the skills necessary to meet their business needs.

Nearly 200,000 people working in the sector last year were considered to be not up to the job, the report found. This compares with 40,000 in 2007.

Brian Wisdom, People 1st's chief executive, said the biggest gaps cited by employers in hospitality were in customer service, chef skills, management and leadership.

"Generally, the industry does not suffer from a recruitment problem though some positions such as owners, managers and chefs are more difficult to fill than others. But while there is no shortage of applicants, many do not have all the required skills, attributes and experience," he said.

Branded managed outlets offering "recognised value for money, food and drink", fared "reasonably better" than independent pubs, while 55 per cent of businesses said the recession made it easier to retain staff.

More pubs offering food meant the number of chefs employed in the pub trade had risen sharply in the last few years. According to Wisdom, 6,200 more chefs were working in the pub, bar and nightclub industries in the UK in 2007/08 compared to 2004/05, an increase of 33 per cent.

But despite the economic downturn, training for staff appears relatively unaffected, with 59 per cent of businesses saying they offered the same amount in 2010 as in 2009, and 14 per cent providing more training, although 51 per cent had moved more of their training in-house.

Government spending cuts were likely to hit grants for training in future, the report added.