Last year, we announced plans to release our talent-boosting ‘GIG Academy’ – a flexible learning institution to help workers up-skill, reach their potential and ultimately ‘raise the bar’ across the hospitality, warehousing, and retail industry. Rolling out in time for Apprenticeship week (March 4-8) this year, we’re now onboarding hospitality-focused GIG Apprentices who can make a real difference within the industry.
The fact is, the hospitality industry is facing an unprecedented staffing crisis, with no solution in sight. In fact, according to reports, a post-Brexit marketplace could exclude 90% of hospitality’s EU workforce, creating a shortfall that would require up to 900,000 new workers to be found each year. With the hospitality industry already fighting stereotypes around exploitation and ‘stop-gap’ staff, the pressure to attract workers and fix the industry’s reputation is mounting.
...a lot of ‘talk’ but not enough ‘walk’ around how to address the staffing crisis...
Combine these stereotypes with hospitality’s already tight margins, an evolving labour market, and economic uncertainty and it’s easy to see why many employers are struggling to hire workers in both numbers and in quality.
As part of our mission to Make Gig Work, Work, the GIG Academy is our approach to addressing the staffing crisis. We’ve seen, first-hand, the difficulties facing hospitality employers when it comes to hiring, training and retaining staff, and we’re here to face those difficulties headfirst. There’s a lot of ‘talk’ but not enough ‘walk’ around how to address the staffing crisis - more needs to be done.
...GIG Apprentices will receive one-to-one mentoring, on-the-job training and a flexible training programme that will build their soft-skills, industry knowledge and confidence...
As an industry built around people, we must, as a collective sector, ensure workers with the opportunities, encouragement and support to fall in love with hospitality - and hang around. Our hospitality apprenticeships, now available through the GIG Academy, will do just that.
So, how can you get involved and why is it good for business?
We’re opening our GIG Apprenticeship scheme to Hospitality employers keen to see progress in the industry. Hiring a GIG Apprentice is as easy as hiring an everyday GIG worker, providing employers with a cost-effective, productive pool of ambitious staff that are constantly up-skilling and reaching new heights. In addition to this, all GIG Apprentices will receive one-to-one mentoring, on-the-job training and a flexible training programme that will build their soft-skills, industry knowledge and confidence.
If we’re to solve the staffing crisis we must raise the bar and focus on the very people that speak for our businesses – the workers. Hire a GIG Apprentice today and discover the benefits an enthusiastic GIG Seeker can provide for your business – and sector.
To find out more about the GIG Academy, head to www.gigtogig.co.uk/academy Or to hire a GIG Apprentice, simply get in touch with gigacademy@gigtogig.co.uk