Síle de Valera
Question:26 Miss de Valera asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade the action, if any, he is taking to ensure adequate numbers of trained staff are available for the hotel sector and other tourism employment. [1385/96]
Ceisteanna—Questions. Written Answers. - Hotel and Catering, Staff Training.
David Andrews
Question:81 Mr. Andrews asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade the plans, if any, he has to improve on-the-job training in the hotel and catering trade. [1560/96]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 26 and 81 together.
Over the lifetime of the Operational Programme for Tourism 1994-99, the Government aims to contribute to improving the quality of service in the Irish tourism product by the provision of high quality training programmes across all sectors of the tourism industry. CERT has primary responsibility for programme delivery and will work in close co-operation with the Department of Education in pursuit of higher education and training standards for the tourism industry.
It is envisaged that a total of £110 million will be invested in tourism training in the six year period to 1999, of which the European Social Fund will contribute £82 million. CERT expects to train over 72,000 people — almost double the number trained under the last Operational Programme for Tourism.
"On-the-job" training is catered for under the continuing training measure. The aim of programmes under this measure is to improve the skills levels of those already employed in tourism. Over the lifetime of the operational programme, it is planned to train over 36,000 tourism industry personnel on a wide variety of programmes such as: flexible short-term programmes including in-company training and business and technical advisory projects; customised training programmes for management teams; training of trainer programmes, to provide for in-house training by senior industry staff.
Also included is a new scheme to promote systematic training within companies, through assistance towards the cost of employee training in key areas not currently covered by CERT or the Department of Education. This Industry Training Support Scheme which is managed by CERT, provides grant assistance of up to 50 per cent of direct costs for skills training. In 1995, 78 programmes were approved for funding under this scheme and funding is available for the training of over 1,000 individuals in 1996.
In a separate but related development CERT has formed a recruitment committee in conjunction with the Irish Hotels Federation and the Restaurant Association of Ireland. The objective is to encourage operators to increase promotion of careers in the hospitality industry and market them as a viable option for school-leavers. In 1995 the committee launched a pilot promotional scheme aimed at second level students in the mid-west. The scheme was well received by schools and industry alike, and it is planned to extend this promotional scheme nationwide during 1996.