Research group launches hospitality workforce initiative
There’s a new campaign to help tackle the workforce crisis faced by hospitality.
A foodservice and hospitality research business has launched a new online initiative to help tackle the workforce crisis faced by hospitality industry operators. The 'Mmmake Your Mark' initiative, launched by IGD, aims to directly address workforce challenges by highlighting the wide range of rewarding career paths available in hospitality.
IGD is urging operators to join the Mmmake Your Mark initiative to raise awareness of the diverse opportunities and essential skills available within the sector. In turn, it believes is can help create a more resilient food system.
Running from now to the end of September, businesses across the food system are being encouraged to post on social media about careers in the industry and to share any other posts using the hashtag #mmmakeyourmark.
"The food and drink industry is one of the UK’s most dynamic and largest private-sector employers, offering incredible careers which are professional, varied, high-tech and well-paid," said Sarah Bradbury, CEO of IGD. "Through our cross-industry Mmmake Your Mark campaign, we want to bridge this knowledge gap and showcase to parents, career advisors and young people the rewarding careers available in our industry.
"Young people are often unaware of the incredible career paths and sense of purpose they can find in the food and drink industry. By joining the Mmmake Your Mark campaign, businesses can help put these careers front and centre, attracting the next generation of talent."
Crunching numbers
New research commissioned by IGD reveals a significant disconnect between young people's career aspirations and their awareness of diverse opportunities within the UK's dynamic food and drink industry. The survey, involving over 1,000 young people aged 16-25 and 1,000 parents, underscores a need to reframe the industry's image and highlight its breadth of modern career paths.
The research shows that over a third (38%) of young people aged 16 to 25 cite their parents or guardians as the single biggest influence on their career considerations. This influence often translates into pressure, with 57% of young people admitting they have felt pressure from parents or teachers to pursue 'traditional' or 'safe' careers such as law, medicine, or finance, even if not aligned with their interests.
Despite this external pressure, six in 10 (61%) of young people expressed a genuine passion for creative and service-led industries, including careers in food, hospitality and media. However, one in five (19%) do not realise they can pursue these passions within a career in the food and drink industry.
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