Michael D. Higgins
Ceist:62 Mr. M. Higgins asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation if he will make a statement on the progress made to date in meeting labour shortages in the tourism sector. [6611/01]
Written Answers. - Tourism Industry.
The successful development of Irish tourism in recent years has created new challenges for the industry, not only in terms of maintaining its competitive position internationally, but also as regards competition for staff in a labour market where skills and shortages have become a major issue for all economic sectors, including tourism.
This situation requires new and innovative responses from the industry and from the State institutions. For its part CERT, following extensive research and consultation with industry, launched a new strategic plan for the period 2000-06. This is designed to deliver the objectives and programmes set out in the national development plan and involves a shift in the focus of the organisation, with an enhanced emphasis on promoting human resource management capability in the industry, and researching and benchmarking best practice. The industry itself will need smarter recruitment and retention programmes and innovative ways of increasing productivity if it is to maintain its pool of highly motivated, productive and committed skilled labour to respond to market demand for quality service and value for money.
The Government have agreed to allocate £107 million under the National Development Plan 2000-2006 to CERT to help industry secure and retain a professional and skilled workforce to meet existing and emerging needs in the sector, thereby enhancing the quality of tourism product and service. In this context, over £16 million has been provided in my Departmental estimates for allocation to CERT in 2001 to enable the organisation to commence the implementation of its new strategic plan.
I am pleased to note that CERT has continued with its many initiatives designed to promote careers in the industry to the school leaving population generally. These include workshops for career guidance counsellors, a telephone careers information line, circulation of careers information to over 1,400 schools, FÁS offices, libraries, and youth organisations and the preparation of information packs for industry personnel giving career talks.
In addition to the above measures, two parallel initiatives are designed to further promote careers in the industry. The first of these, which was launched in October 2000, was CERT's annual careers roadshow, which visited 16 venues country-wide and held over 70 sessions in various second level institutions. It was targeted at second-level students from transition year to leaving certificate level and was implemented in partnership with the major industry bodies including the Irish Hotels Federation, the Restaurants Association of Ireland, the Vintners Federation of Ireland and the Licensed Vintners Association. It was widely advertised through local radio stations and newspapers. The second initiative was the launch of the careers magazineGet a Life in Tourism. This magazine is a CERT joint venture with the industry bodies and highlights the variety of careers on offer in the sector. The numbers enrolling in tourism entry courses were maintained for the 2000-01 academic year, despite stiff competition from other industries and educational courses.
CERT are currently undertaking a pilot programme targeted at long-term unemployment blackspots which has proved to be very popular and successful, with exceptionally good job prospects and participants being virtually guaranteed jobs on successful completion of the courses. The programme which is currently under way in Ballymun, Clondalkin and Merchants Quay is to be extended to Waterford during 2001 and will be replicated in other parts of the country which have experienced particularly high levels of long-term unemployment.
CERT's new nation-wide programme to encourage people who have been out of the workforce for a long time to take up a career in the tourism industry has been running for nearly a year at this stage. It has proved extremely successful to date and it is projected that 6,000 adults will complete this programme by 2005.
In a separate effort to boost recruitment levels, I understand that tourism employers have participated in recruitment fairs in Scotland and Wales which have proved very successful in attracting staff to Ireland. Recruitment drives are currently being considered for other European locations. Irish participation in fairs such as these is co-ordinated by FÁS, who welcome employers to such recruitment drives. I understand that the Irish Hotels Federation, Irish hotel groups and individual bodies are also participating in EURES, the European Employment Service, to help satisfy labour shortages in the hospitality sector.
To help address concerns in the tourism and hospitality industry in relation to recruitment and staff retention, CERT launched the new RETAIN initiative in the latter part of 2000. Under this initiative, financial assistance of up to £15,000 over a three year period will be available, under certain conditions, to businesses for improvement in human resources management. Alongside the new scheme, CERT will be running a series of courses for owners and general managers on modern human resource best practice.
In a significant shift in the direction of support for the industry, CERT held a major conference on World Class Service in Tourism and Hospitality for general managers and senior executives in the industry in Dublin Castle in November 2000. Featuring a panel of international speakers and the findings of the latest international research carried out during 2000, the conference focused on best practice in human resources and operations management. It was attended by 150 of the key decision makers from among Ireland's leading tourism industry enterprises.
One of the key findings to emerge from the report "Hospitality Best Practice – A Benchmark Study", was the requirement for the tourism industry to improve its performance significantly. It emerged from the study that success will only come from focusing on customer needs, and fully engaging employees in meeting those needs.
In response to these findings, CERT proposes to work more closely with the industry in a number of areas specifically designed to improve operational performance. CERT is planning a number of management development initiatives to assist this process and is working with Excellence Ireland to develop a business excellence recognition scheme to promote the attainment of excellence within the industry and to provide a necessary framework within which management and staff can work towards higher levels of performance.
Question No. 63 answered with Question No. 51.
Question No. 64 answered with Question No. 51.