Bernard Allen
Question:20 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the steps, if any, he will take to increase the access to training and focus training investment at skills needs and in areas of regional deficits. [15490/99]
Ceisteanna – Questions (Resumed) - Tourism Industry.
CERT is the body with specific responsibility for the provision of training to the catering and tourism industry. Training and human resource development are major elements of the Operational Programme for Tourism, 1994-99, under which CERT contributes to the training of 11,000 people per year on average for the industry. CERT continues to provide entry level craft training which is augmented by a number of programmes targeted at specific groups, such as the long-term unemployed, early school leavers and women wishing to return to the workforce.
In addition, it operates a number of management training programmes and other courses at advanced and supervisory levels. This training is provided on a regional basis mostly in the ten institutes of technology as well as CERT's own training schools in Cork, Killarney, Limerick, Rosslare and Killybegs. This regional network provides a countrywide supply of programmes and courses which are skills based.
A special pilot initiative, designed to bring training right to the heart of socially deprived areas, is in operation in Clondalkin and Ballymun and is aimed primarily at long-term unemployed people and those wishing to return to the workforce. The communities in these areas have already enthusiastically embraced the training programmes being offered through this initiative, under which 230 people are expected to be trained.
As the Deputy will be aware, with the recent reports of staff and skills shortages in the industry, both the tourism industry representative bodies and CERT continue to work individually and in partnership to promote careers in tourism in a very competitive environment. CERT launched the first National Tourism Careers Roadshow as part of its recruitment drive in November 1998. The roadshow toured nationwide and was supported by a major media and advertising campaign. It featured careers days in 35 prime venues and was backed by similar events in CERT's own centres which together attracted more than 10,000 student visitors. A database of more than 8,000 people seeking further contact and summer jobs in the industry has been compiled.
A "Careers in Tourism Magazine", sponsored by CERT, the Irish Hotels Federation and the Restaurants Association of Ireland, was produced and given to every student who attended any of the career promotion events. A 16 page careers supplement was also produced in a national newspaper and 5,000 copies of the supplement were distributed at career events throughout 1998. Workshops for career guidance counsellors took place in Kilkenny, Carlow and Kerry; 60 school exhibitions were also attended by CERT; and 283 career talks were given to 10,000 students. These talks were targeted at those schools that did not attend the careers roadshows.
A tourism recruitment promotion with 2FM radio took place in January and February this year involving participation in street entertainment and radio slots over a three week period. The telephone careers information line on freephone 1-800 produced more than 3,000 inquiries about tourism careers. Careers information was circulated to more than 1,400 schools, FÁS offices, libraries and youth organisations. Information packs were made available to all industry personnel giving career talks. These packs included career brochures and course information, a careers video and overhead slides.
On many occasions since taking up office, I have urged the industry to become more proactive in addressing recruitment difficulties and labour shortages and to take appropriate steps to counter the perceived poor image of tourism as a career opportunity. In this context I particularly welcome the Irish Hotels Federation's "Quality Employer Programme", which is based on best practice in all aspects of employment including recruitment, induction training, ongoing performance assessment, career progression and conditions of pay and employment.
I understand that in the two years since the programme was introduced, approximately 60 per cent of members of the federation have applied for accreditation and 220 establishments have been accredited so far. The Restaurants Association of Ireland's "Restaurant and Customer Charter" is another good example of the type of initiative needed.
As the labour market is expected to tighten, with unemployment levels declining further over the coming years, greater emphasis may well have to be placed on other potential sources of labour for the tourism sector, including married women returning to work, retired people, those wishing to work part-time and non-national labour. The key challenge facing the industry and CERT is how to put in place appropriate policies, programmes and arrangements to attract, motivate and retain a skilled labour force in the face of declining labour availability and increasing competition from other sectors.
For the industry this will also involve considering internal training requirements and measures which could improve labour productivity. In the context of preparations for the new National Development Plan, my Department is working closely with CERT to identify the most appropriate focus – including skills needs and access to training – for its activities in the future and specific measures which should be undertaken by it to help address the training requirements of the industry, in an increasingly competitive labour market.
Does the Minister agree that while unprecedented growth is being enjoyed in the tourism sector currently, one of the major obstacles to the continuation of that growth is the shortage of people to take up jobs that are available? Does he further agree that CERT has so far failed to meet the challenge of sustaining the development in tourism which has been experienced in recent times? Does the Minister have proposals to attract more unemployed people into the tourism industry? For example, has he considered in conjunction with the Department of Finance a home makers tax free allowance, which would encourage women working in the home to enter the workforce, particularly in the tourism sector?
I agree with the Deputy that there is a major labour shortage in the tourism sector. Within the next ten years the number of young people aged between 13 and 18 years will have decreased by approximately 10 per cent and that must be worrying for the industry. Unquestionably, there is a problem, but the industry must become more involved. CERT is finding it more difficult to attract people into the industry for three reasons – competition from other sectors; decreasing labour market; and the perceived unattractive image of the industry. When all that is taken into account the prognosis is not optimistic because the labour force is expected to tighten further in future years with unemployment levels continuing to decline. A greater proportion of non-national labour will have to be used. In 1997 some 50 new hotels were built. There were 37 in 1998 and 30 this year. There has been a 20 per cent increase in that type of accommodation. I agree with the Deputy that there is a labour shortage, but CERT is doing its utmost to attract people into the industry. However, we need a greater input from the private sector.
This year instead of asking young people in Clondalkin and Ballymun to come to the CERT training centre in the city we brought the training out to them. The roadshow visited 35 areas attracting 10,000 students. We have workshops in three counties. There were 60 school exhibitions and 283 career talks were given. I could go on and on about what is being done to attract people into the industry. I could not blame CERT for its efforts.
I remind Deputies that six minutes are allocated for each question, two minutes for the Minister's initial reply, one minute for each supplementary and one minute for the Minister's reply.
My questions have been less than one minute in duration while the Minister's reply has been more than two minutes.
As we are still on Priority Questions the one minute does not apply to either the Deputy or the Minister.
In his lengthy reply, the Minister did not answer one of the key questions I put to him. Has he discussed with the Minister or the Department of Finance the concept of a homemaker's tax free allowance which would allow persons who have worked in the home for the past four or five years to come into the workforce? Surely that is a pool of labour which could be attracted into this area. Yesterday a person attempted to make a reservation by telephone in a leading Dublin hotel. Unfortunately she could not get her message across because the receptionist did not understand her although she spoke in English. While we may pride ourselves on being cosmopolitan, surely the Minister agrees that is an unhappy position and is a warning sign that Irish people are not at the coalface of tourism. I am not being racist but am talking about basic communication skills.
We as a Government are trying to deal with the problems created by our own success. The matter raised by the Deputy is one for the Irish Hotels Federation. I agree there is a labour shortage and we must try to target our young Celtic tiger cubs who have emigrated. It is estimated that there are 20,000 of our young students attending universities in the UK and we must target them. I agree with the Deputy that people in their forties and fifties who have reared their families would be an addition to the workforce in this area. That issue was raised last year by the Irish Hotels Federation with the Minister for Finance. I will continue to pursue it this year. There are a number of people in that age group who would be useful to the tourism industry and the addition would be that they are Irish.