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'ScotAction' for tourism industry
16/06/2009
The public sector, private sector and Government will work more closely together and harness skills and training resources more effectively to achieve the 50 per cent growth in revenue target for 2015 and the continuing success of the Scottish Tourism industry Fiona Hyslop said today.
Publishing the Tourism Education and Training Task Group report on qualifications and skills provision in the industry the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning said that where there is a demand for better support to train people in the sector the Scottish Government will take action.
In response to the work of the Task Group and as part of ScotAction - the Scottish Government's skills support package to help support Scotland's economy out of recession and back to economic growth - the Scottish Government has already announced that it is doubling the number of Modern Apprenticeships in Hospitality Supervision which will be funded this year.
The Scottish Government has also re-introduced funding for 200 all-age Professional Cookery Modern Apprenticeships in April 2009 to help address a need for skilled chefs in Scotland.
Launching the report at the Hilton in Glasgow, the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning said:
"This Government is committed to doing everything that we can to help people in this current economic climate and ScotAction is the Scottish Government's skills support package for providing real financial support to businesses and individuals through the recession.
"I want to thank the members of the Task Group for giving up their time to suggest improvements in meeting the skills needs of the Scottish Hospitality and Tourism industry. I know that all members of the Group are committed to achieving the recommendations contained in the report and I am delighted that the vehicle for taking this forward will be the Skills Group to be formed out of the reviewed Tourism Framework for Change.
"A key theme from the report is that where there is a demand from the industry, public and private sector agencies need to be fast to respond so that we can make the most of the opportunity.
"One such request from the industry was for a relaxation in the age restrictions for Modern Apprenticeships and we are responding by providing financial support for 300 adult hospitality apprenticeships for this year. This proves that I am committed to addressing the needs of our key sectors to ensure that we are supporting development and growth.
"This action also demonstrates that when the Scottish Government is asked to look at a specific area of policy, where we have the powers, we can deliver for the people of Scotland - and deliver quickly.
Key actions stimulated by the work of the Task Group include:
- Strong, visionary leadership is critical for this key sector and Scottish Enterprise and the Scottish Government are funding a feasibility study to help bring to life an ambition of industry leaders to establish an industry-led Tourism and Hospitality Leadership Business School. This study will report its findings in late summer 2009.
- Employers find the education and training system difficult to understand and the Scottish Government is committed to simplifying this. With funding from the Scottish Government People 1st - the sector skills council for hospitality and tourism - is working with Scotland's colleges to create an online information resource to help employers know what training is available, how to access it and what funding there is to support it. This will be available in summer 2009.
- Many individuals move around the industry. It is important that their skills move with them and are properly used and recognised. That is why the Scottish Government funded a project to make it easier to have their skills recognised in the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework and count towards other qualifications.
- The Scottish Qualifications Authority is creating an interactive website which will show all of its qualifications at the relevant SCQF levels. This will explain the level and purpose of the qualification and indicate progression opportunities for careers and further learning.
- The Scottish Qualifications Authority and the Alliance of Sector Skill Councils are implementing their strategic relationship to ensure that employers influence the development of all SQA qualifications from the early stages of qualification development through to validation.
The Tourism Education and Skills Task Group was set up by Scottish Ministers in November 2008 following their response to the report published by the Enterprise, Energy and Tourism Parliamentary Committee 'Growing pains - can we achieve a 50 per cent growth in tourist revenue by 2015?' Ministers believed that further work was required to investigate the Committee's concerns on the provision of education, skills and training in the sector, establish the extent of the problem and recommend a way forward.
Members of the Task Group, which met four times from November 2008-May 2009, included key industry groups such as the Scottish Tourism Forum and VisitScotland.
The remit set by Scottish Ministers for the Task Group was to -
- Identify what hospitality and tourism qualifications are available in Scotland, and advise Scottish Ministers on how relevant, responsive and flexible they are.
- Establish how many and what type of hotel school developments are currently in development or under consideration in Scotland and advise on how these can support the needs of the industry.
- Summarise, for the industry, the roles of the respective public bodies in relation to qualifications development, validation and funding.
The Scottish Government has announced much support for the Apprenticeship Programme over the last few months. £6 million has been made available to fund an additional 1,000 apprentices in Glasgow over the next three years to support the Commonwealth Games legacy, it has funded 50 apprentices in the Creative Sector and announced funding for 100 apprenticeships for Home Energy and Efficiency in partnership with Scottish and Southern Energy. It has also announced that a new apprenticeship framework for the Life Science industry has now been developed to support the growth of one of our key sectors in Scotland.
Last week the Cabinet Secretary announced the 'Adopt An Apprentice' scheme where employers can receive a helping hand of £2000 to employ a redundant apprentice and that it will double the number of Modern Apprenticeships in Hospitality Supervision which will be funded this year.
Skills Development Scotland, Scotland's national skills agency, will play a leading role in taking forward the delivery of the initiatives that ScotAction will deliver for Scotland at this time.
ScotAction is an integrated package combining new and improved measures to help individuals and businesses through the recession and will provide skills assistance - including wage subsidies in some circumstances - for training for work, training in work and training from work to work to help Scottish people and businesses survive the downturn and thrive when the economy starts to recover.