Invest in apprentices not seasonal staff, says Anglesey hotel

Hospitality operators are urged to stop hiring seasonal staff and invest in more cost effective apprentices.

That's the message the Anglesey hotel in Gosport hopes to impart during Portsmouth's Apprenticeship Week event on 7 March at Fratton Park.

As part of ‘Apprenticeships Deliver- Get on Board', Anglesey hotel's director and head chef Kevin Meacham will highlight how taking on and training an apprentice has been more cost effective than hiring seasonal temporary staff.

Tom Howard, the hotel's apprentice chef, is being trained by HTP Training and was runner up at the News ‘Business Awards in Apprentice of the Year' category last month.

Meacham said: "What some employers do not realise is that hiring and training seasonal staff is more costly than taking on an apprentice.

"With an apprentice, you have the benefit of nurturing someone right from the start and the training is done on the job. They are eager to learn and motivated to progress. I find apprentices to be far more consistent. It just makes commercial sense."

Rachael Fidler, managing director at HTP added: "In the current climate, you would be forgiven for thinking that businesses are finding it easy to recruit staff. Some business cannot afford to advertise vacancies and often struggle to train and up-skill existing staff.

"If a business is unable to find the right talent, it is very likely to stifle growth and it impacts the bottom line. Thankfully a number of businesses like Anglesey Hotel are turning to apprenticeships to bridge the skills gap and drive business growth."

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Take part in Caterer and Hotelkeeper's live debate on "The Value of Apprenticeships" on 13 March at 3pm - register here >>

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