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Meeting the management challenge


Just over half of sector employers currently provide management training


I The initiative aims to improve the treatment of hospitality staff


'Fair Hotels' campaign for Ireland 40 operators support scheme to support staff


By Tom Walker More than 40 hotels across Ireland have signed up to a new campaign designed to encour- age consumers to support businesses that promote the fair treatment of staff. The Fair Hotels initiative,


which was unveiled on 25 May at Liberty Hall Theatre in Dublin, will use the collective purchasing power of 850,000 workers to make an "ethical choice" about where they stay. Endorsed by the Irish Congress


of Trade Unions and confedera- tions in 120 countries around the world, the campaign will see 61 events held at participat- ing properties between 2010 and 2013. A spokesperson for the Siptu


union said: "More than 40 hotels across Ireland in which workers have collective bargaining rights have signed up to the campaign which will encourage trade unions and their members to use fair hotels for family holidays and breaks, conferences and meetings."


London expansion for Be At One


Cocktail bar chain Be At One has revealed plans to open eight new sites in London over the next two years after delivering strong financial results for the year ending 31 March 2010. The group posted a 13 per


cent increase in like-for-like sales at sites that have been open for more than a year, while profits grew by 17.5 per cent when compared with the previous year.


© Cybertrek 2010 Be At One, which launched


with the opening of its first bar in Battersea in 1998, currently operates nine sites across the capital and aims to open a further three this year, the first of which will be in Shoreditch. Another five new sites are scheduled to open in 2011-12. Rhys Oldfield, one of the group's co-founders, said:


"2010 is set to be another exciting year of growth for us."


n the recently published People 1st State of the Nation 2010 Report, a survey of more than 2,000 hospitality,


leisure, travel and tourism businesses undertaken in March 2010 found that 26 per cent of those surveyed said they employed people who lack the required skills to do the job, compared to 19% in 2007. In 2009, 39 per cent of those who stated they had skills gaps in their workforce said that management skills needed improving. This is higher than the average across the whole UK economy (36 per cent), and an increase from 2007 (26 per cent). "Given their importance in terms of the future growth of the sector, the lack of managerial skills remains a concern,” the report said. The irony is, however, that just over half of sector employers


PHILIPPE ROSSITER is chief executive of the IOH. Leisure Opportuni- ties is a member benefit of the IOH


currently provide management training, the majority of which is tailored and delivered on-the-job. Some 45 per cent of employers provide in-house, off-the-job management training, while 36 per cent use external training providers. Despite the increase in the amount of training it is still the quality of training that matters. Management training in particular needs to be tailored for the personal development needs of the individual. The IOH is helping in meeting this challenge through its suite of awards which not only provide a pathway to obtaining a full nationally-recognised qualification, but also allow individuals to focus on their own personal development needs. A good example of this philosophy being put into practice


(amongst many throughout the UK) can be found at Westminster Kingsway College in Central London, which is now offering the Institute of Hospitality’s qualifications. The first 18-week course started in April, and has attracted employees who work in hotels, contract catering and private member clubs. The unitised management programme includes the study of marketing, human resources, finance, business strategy, communication, and problem-solving. Red Carnation Hotels and BaxterStorey are amongst the companies participating. "This is the chance for some of our selected managers to learn about all aspects of the hotel business." said Liz McGivern, HR director at Red Carnation Hotels.


“If, in a recession, you have the courage to invest in training people to manage better it will be rewarded. When the focus is on bringing people back to your hotel then inspired management is at the heart of achieving this," she added. For more information about the IOH's awards and qualifications, please contact awardingbody@instituteofhospitality.org


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