Catering Scotland

Neil Pattison, Director at Caterer.com

‘We welcome Government’s package to support the hospitality sector through job retention and schemes to encourage more customers through the door. This is largely thanks to a consolidated industry drive from UK Hospitality and others to help the government see the value of the sector.

‘While these initiatives are hugely appreciated, a real risk in the longer term is that too many highly skilled, talented workers will be forced out of the sector as furlough ends. Around 50% of hospitality businesses have yet to reopen, and revenues for the sector are expected to be 60% down this year.

‘As the UK’s biggest hospitality jobs site, Caterer.com reflects job activity in the sector, and at the height of lock-down, job postings dropped from 18,000 to 1,000. Our Hospitality Redeployment Hub, launched during the pandemic to help displaced hospitality workers, has seen candidates make over 50,000 applications for temporary roles in other sectors.

‘Now that the sector is reopening, government support is essential and more will need to be done to secure jobs and enable businesses to make the most of schemes aimed at bringing more young people into the sector over the long-term.’

Neil Pattison is Director at Caterer.com, the UK’s biggest hospitality jobs board.

www.cis-excellenceawards.com