Vol. 513 No. 5
9 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the additional funding, if any, he intends to provide for CERT for a comprehensive programme to enhance human resource management skills in the tourism sector in view of the commitment given in the review of An Action Programme for the Millennium. [2751/00]
Heightened expectations from a rapidly expanding customer base can only be satisfied by a tourism industry which is competitive, adaptable and responsive. Over the next seven years the effectiveness of human resource strategies within the industry will determine the degree to which tourism can sustain recent success and projected future growth.
The need to enhance human resources in the tourism sector is fully recognised in the National Development Plan 2000-2006, which includes provision for a specific tourism training measure under the employability and adaptability sub-programmes. The aim of these measures will be to enable the tourism industry to continue to attract more new entrants, including from the ranks of the long-term unemployed and disadvantaged, and support human resource development within the sector to maintain quality customer service and competitiveness. These measures will facilitate CERT, the national training agency for the sector, in delivering a comprehensive programme of training and will also provide it with the opportunity to further develop its own role as leader and facilitator for tourism in attaining world class standards of human resource management and service delivery.
CERT will provide programmes to facilitate the transition from second level education to job placement by way of full-time craft courses. This will deliver a stream of highly qualified personnel to the sector and the plan is to increase recruitment and training throughput under this measure in excess of 25% per annum by 2006 to over 2,000 trainees annually. Other CERT programmes will specifically target groups who are socially excluded such as the long-term unemployed, early school leavers, women wishing to return to paid employment, workers recently made redundant, non-nationals and older age groups.
Additional InformationA comprehensive range of flexible and accessible initiatives will be provided at local level, leading to recognised qualifications and sustainable employment for these trainees.
The industry also needs to adapt its approach to human resource management to take account of the potential now on offer to personnel, entering or already within the industry, for career progression and development as a result of a much expanded, competitively driven industry. Future CERT programmes under this measure will facilitate the raising and maintenance of the highest operational standards in tourism and as such will provide training or development intervention for persons already working in industry. The primary areas of focus will be human resource management and operational best practice.
The overall objective of the tourism and training measure over the period 2000 to 2006 is to provide the industry with the necessary human resource management and operational skills to facilitate businesses becoming self-sustaining in terms of recruiting, retraining and developing staff and in improving competitiveness through continuous learning. Overall it is planned to double the existing pool in trained trainers within the industry from just over 2,000 at present to circa 5,000 by 2006. In addition, it is planned to double the population of human resource professionals employed within the industry over the early years of the plan and to encourage training and development through this network. It is also planned to increase the number of employees pursuing advanced training through colleges. Almost £110 million has been allocated for the purposes of implementing these tourism training measures over the period of the national development plan.
I am sure the Minister is aware of last year's CERT study carried out by McIver Consultants and Tansey Webster Stewart which indicated that between 2000 and 2005, 105,000 extra staff will be required in the tourism industry. I compliment the Minister on the measures to employ the disadvantaged and unemployed in the tourism industry. The wage structure also needs to be looked at. What measures are in place to address the deficit which will emerge in the next five years?
As the Deputy said, the report indicated there would be a huge labour shortage in the next five years. However, it is difficult to attract young people to work in the industry, not necessarily because of the problem with wages. Many employers, particularly in Dublin, are offering exceptionally good wages because there is competition for well-trained staff. The intro duction of the minimum wage will impact on this sector probably more than any other. We are acutely aware of the problem.
The industry has to change and focus on human resource management. The report stated that the industry needs to adapt its approach to human resource management to take account of the potential now on offer to personnel entering or already in the industry for career progression and development as a result of a much expanded competitive industry. It went on to state that the labour shortage in the tourism area will become more acute in the next four to five years. CERT is trying to attract more trained personnel to get rid of the image the industry has of being low paid with poor social hours. We are trying to change that image but the industry must come up with ideas.
Is the Minister aware that labour costs account for 30% of expenditure in the hotel industry? This will have a major impact on the growth of the trade. Does the Minister agree that funding should be targeted at potential areas of growth? CERT does a fantastic job but immigrants will have to be trained to aid the development of the tourism industry. What plans are in place for that?
CERT will receive more than £100 million in the national development plan to specifically provide for training. All the areas to which I referred in my reply, including the training of immigrants, will be included. There is a perception that some of us are racist. This could not be further from the truth. There are thousands of people from the EU and other countries working in restaurants and hotels in Dublin and the rest of the country. They are being allowed into the country and are being trained. Dublin will become more cosmopolitan in the future.
