Following the major Government announcement that it was rolling out our hospitality SWAP to 26 new areas, Kate Nicholls, our Chief Executive, wrote for Propel's Friday Opinion to expand on what it means for hospitality businesses:
Job creation
Alison McGovern MP, Minister for Employment
Our sector is not just about providing great experiences; it’s about providing opportunities, creating jobs, and being a driving force for the economy.
We all know this, of course, but with another of the Government’s stated priorities being to get those out of work back into jobs, UKHospitality has been at the forefront of making sure those in Westminster understand how we can help achieve that goal.
This week, at UKHospitality’s annual Workforce & Skills conference, Alison McGovern MP, Minister for Employment, used the occasion to demonstrate the success of our efforts by endorsing the hospitality-specific training scheme UKHospitality has developed and pioneered.
The Minister announced that the Government would be rolling out our hospitality Sector-based Work Academies Programmes (SWAPs) to 26 new areas of the country, as part of the Government’s plan to extend the SWAP initiative and our work developing the Hospitality Skills Passport.
The Government has backed it because its own data showed the initiative proved to be a huge success in its pilot phase, with an 85% completion rate. What’s more, 80% of those completing the course are now employed in hospitality.
But what does this mean , and how can operators benefit?
SWAPs are bespoke pre-employment training courses that ensure jobseekers have the skills they need to get a job in hospitality.
The programme takes 20 days, including 10 days in a hospitality setting or classroom with an industry tutor, and five days of work experience with an employer who has apprenticeship or entry level vacancies. It also guarantees participants a job interview.
It ensures successful recruits arrive with employers job-ready, after training in customer service, health and safety, hygiene and more.
Delivering hospitality-designed training ahead of learning helps to break the cycle of underprepared candidates put forward by Jobcentres.
The Government’s decision to roll the programme out across the country is recognition of the success of the pilot phase and the role hospitality plays as an employer.
It’s also testament to the work that hospitality businesses have put into making it a success, with more than 50 involved throughout the pilot.
Why is this announcement important?
Of course, the elephant in the room is the £3.4 billion of costs arriving in April, of which £2.9 billion makes employing people much more expensive.
Raising the impact of those costs has been our number one priority when it comes to our campaigning to government, and that has been done at the highest level – to the Prime Minister, Chancellor and numerous Secretaries of States and Ministers – where we continue to press for a delay and a rethink.
But alongside that, we’re continuing our work to make sure the talent pipeline into the sector is as strong as possible, because that remains critical. As we battle through these costs, we need great people joining our businesses that are job-ready and have the skills to hit the ground running.
I’m confident that this initiative will be a pipeline for tens of thousands of people to join our sector, helping to bridge the ongoing recruitment challenge and helping to shift attitudes towards embarking on a career in the sector.
The roll-out is also a ringing endorsement of the Hospitality Skills Passport, a transferrable award that team members can earn to demonstrate their competence and qualifications.
This digital passport will house all completed training, such as those completed in a SWAP, and is transferable from business to business. This will help keep track of progress and – crucially – eliminates the need for employers and employees to duplicate training when moving between companies.
With wider reform of the Apprenticeship Levy system and the skills landscape more broadly, this initiative could aid businesses to use more of their training funds for the skills they need.
What’s next and how can you get involved?
The expansion of the scheme begins officially from April. It will set in motion a new partnership that brings together employers, jobseekers and the Jobcentre network to ensure that more people are trained to come into the sector.
Work is already happening at pace with the Department for Work and Pensions, local authorities, local colleges and training providers to ensure we maximise this opportunity.
Our preparation will put hospitality businesses at its heart so they can work closely with the schemes in relevant areas in order to benefit from newly-trained recruits coming through.
Anyone can register their details on the SWAP page on our website, where they will be able to select regions where they’re interested in being involved.
The scheme UKHospitality has put together really does deliver for businesses and employers, and I urge as many businesses as possible to get involved.
Register for our SWAPs webinar this Thursday, 6 March
Webinar: Roll-out of Hospitality Skills Passport
Find out more
Workforce and Skills Event 2026
Our full day conference bringing members together to share experiences, learn from experts and receive updates on the workforce and skills landscape, will return in 2025. The dress code for this event is business attire.
