Don’t Waste: The Future of Hospitality comes after research from HIT Training found 65% of levy-paying hospitality businesses are currently unaware they can transfer their funds to smaller businesses or charities in the sector.
The Government is set to increase a transfer cap from 10% to 25% from April 2019, allowing larger businesses to donate more of their unused funds to smaller ones.
HIT Training has urged levy-paying businesses – employers with a pay bill over £3m each year – to fund at least one apprenticeship outside of their company.
Businesses can commit their support to transfer part of their fund or investigate how the process works on a specialist portal.
HIT Training has also offered to aid in the creation of relationships between small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and larger businesses.
Vibrant sectors
HIT Training managing director Jill Whittaker said: “Hospitality is one of the most vibrant and exciting sectors to work in, yet we continue to face multiple challenges when it comes to dispelling the outdated and negative perceptions of what a career in the industry entails.
“The year ahead is going to be a challenging one for everyone, so we need to do all that we can to protect our industry and provide aspirational career opportunities to the next generation of hospitality stars.
“We want to bring the industry together to utilise its combined resources and support businesses of all shapes and sizes to provide high-quality development opportunities through apprenticeship programmes.
“Together, we have the power to make real change and protect the future of our industry.”
The initiative comes amid fears about filling hospitality vacancies after Brexit and research that shows young people do not view the sector as containing viable career opportunities.
Last year, HIT called on businesses to “seize the opportunity to upskill their workforce” and use up funding before contributions start to expire in May 2019.
Businesses that fall under the levy-paying threshold must pay 10% an apprenticeship cost with the Government funding the rest.
