CGC Oakgrove Ebook 3.0

Hospitality

Sector Outlook Employing over two million people, the hospitality sector is the fifth largest industry in the UK and worth £73 billion to the economy. Overall, job opportunities for young workers tend to be plentiful although about 50% of all employees work on a part time basis. Most employers have fewer than ten members of staff but offer the advantage of giving you the opportunity to try out a wide range of different job roles. Hotel groups such as the Marriot, the Hilton and the Accor, however, often employ over a hundred staff and are able to offer graduate training schemes. The coffee shop sector grew a further 12% in 2016 and is now estimated at 22,000 outlets with an annual turnover of around £8.9billion. By 2025 this could reach £30 billion and 30,000 outlets. Currently 53% of branded share comes from Nero, Costa and Starbucks and these are expected to expand to 9,400 outlets by 2021. This market is still growing, with new stores opening, requiring baristas, shift supervisors and store managers. Despite the low pay for entrants, for those with determination and willingness to take on responsibility can earn £25k per year as a store manager or £31k as an area manager. The ability to offer a broader skillset to employers is becoming increasingly important especially when you consider that competition for jobs in the hospitality industry is growing. More and more graduates, as well as other entrants, are setting their sights on the hospitality sector so employers naturally have more choice. Recent reports suggest that on average there are twenty-one applicants for every vacancy within the sector.Most vacancies can be found in London and the South East. However, this is offset by a greater degree of competition for jobs. East Anglia is noteworthy for having the lowest level of competition for hospitality posts. Turnover within the industry tends to be high, which is partly due to the low wages on offer. A significant number of employers are experiencing problems in attracting skilled managers and chefs. Skilled chefs have been in particular short supply for a few years and there is a growing demand for those who can cook Asian cuisine. Growth areas to keep your eye on are budget accommodation chains and fast food outlets. Other companies building a reputation in the market include Cote Restaurant, Bill’s, Loungers and Jamie’s Italian. Travelodge, the biggest independent hotel chain in the UK, is expanding its operations with the opening of another six new Travelodge hotels. They have 206 positions to fill including hotel manager, receptionist, guest room cleaner and bar café roles as well as head office support staff. By 2025 the company aims to have completed over 1,100 hotels. Growth concerns for the sector include labour shortages due to Brexit, food inflation and managing new apps in the sector such as Deliveroo, Justeat and competition for accommodation from the likes of Airbnb. Jobs can be found on specific jobs sites such as caterer.com, company career pages or consider following a business on social media to get their latest news and job vacancies.