I am acutely aware of the importance of the tourism and hospitality sector in providing job opportunities across the country for our young people. The measures put in place to support tourism in last year's Jobs Initiative and the Government's Action Plan for Jobs 2012 helped to contribute to growth of almost 8% in visitor numbers in 2011. In addition, the CSO Quarterly National Household Survey shows that 6,300 more people were employed in accommodation and food services in the second quarter of this year compared to the same quarter in 2011 (6,400 seasonally adjusted) and 10,600 more people compared to the first quarter in 2011 (10,500 seasonally adjusted).
In order to develop training structures for the tourism and hospitality sector, Fáilte Ireland, in conjunction with the Institutes of Technology, has an agreed strategy for provision of Hospitality and Tourism Programmes. This agreement provides a sustainable supply of “industry-ready” people to the Irish tourism industry over the medium term and across the country. A critical aspect of that collaboration is that Fáilte Ireland has sought and achieved the provision of improved training and career prospects for new entrants. New apprenticeship style models have been developed and put in place across the country together with an accelerated training programme for chefs and restaurant service.
As part of its strategy, Fáilte Ireland has championed the ‘earn and learn’ approach as the most effective way forward whereby individuals are provided with access to accredited training on campus on a part-time basis while also learning on the job. Young persons considering a career in the tourism and hospitality sector can access information on courses and careers on the Fáilte Ireland website www.picktourism.ie.
