Written Answers. - Tourism Employment.
Bernard J. Durkan
Question:
208
Mr. Durkan
asked the
Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation
the plans, if any, he has to ensure the availability of adequate staff in respect of the tourism industry, with particular reference to hotels and restaurants; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[16081/00]
A report commissioned by CERT and published last year entitled, Hospitality 2000, quantified the expected skills requirements of the tourism industry up to 2005. This report highlighted two major challenges facing the industry, namely the recruitment of new entrants and the retention and development of existing staff.
Since this report was published CERT has been working with the industry to address the challenges set out in the report. Implementation of the recommendations will require the industry to commit additional resources to develop and retain valuable staff and find ways to achieve excellence and improve productivity with the same number or with fewer people.
CERT is continuing to promote recruitment to the industry through a variety of strategic interventions which, to date, have proved important in maintaining recruitment numbers to formal craft level training. The main objective of these interventions is to highlight to young people, those returning to work and other categories of potential employees, the advantages of a career in a fast growing successful industry.
Recently, I launched CERT's new nationwide programme to encourage people who have been out of the workforce for a long time to take up a career in the tourism industry. This follows on from another scheme launched in May 1999 in Ballymun, targeted at long-term unemployed blackspots, which has proved very popular and successful, with participants being virtually guaranteed jobs on successful completion of the courses.
Under the new national development plan, my Department will continue to work closely with CERT to refine its activities in the future and to further develop the measures to be taken to help address the requirements of the industry in an increasingly competitive labour market.
Each year CERT organises a major recruitment campaign throughout the country. These campaigns are implemented in partnership with all the major industry bodies including the Irish Hotels Federation, Restaurants Association of Ireland, Vintners' Federation of Ireland, and the Licensed Vintners' Association and are targeted at second level students from transition year to leaving certificate level. They include the very successful national careers roadshow which is supported by a major media and advertising campaign. As part of this roadshow, personnel from the main employer bodies attend and give first hand experience of work in the industry and, in the case of IHF members, this usually involves tours of their premises. CERT also attends the main career exhibitions, together with representatives of the IHF and RAI.
Finally, I understand that tourism employers have also participated in recruitment fairs in Wales and Scotland, which have proved very successful in attracting staff to Ireland, and that they expect to participate further in focused recruitment in England, France, Spain, Sweden, Finland and Greece. Irish participation in fairs such as these is co-ordinated by FÁS, which welcomes employers to participate with them at these fairs. I understand that the Irish Hotels Federation, Irish hotel groups and individual hotels are also participating in EURES, the European Employment Service, to help satisfy labour supply in the hospitality sector.
I am also aware that a number of private sector recruitment agencies are actively engaged in recruiting workers from overseas for employment in the hospitality industry.
