Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Hospitality Sector-based Work Academy Programme

Monday 13 November 2023 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Minister for Employment joined Nickie Aiken at a caf in Pimlico to celebrate the hospitality sector.
  • The Department is working with UK Hospitality and local providers in various cities to ensure the hospitality work programme provides training and job opportunities.
  • The Department aims to drive forward the hospitality pilot to address recruitment issues and benefit minorities and those struggling in the sector.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Nickie Aiken
Employment Business & Trade
Context

The MP is concerned about the effectiveness of a hospitality work academy programme in her constituency. She noted that thousands of hospitality jobs exist there, including businesses like Ben Venuti café and deli.

Question

What assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the hospitality sector-based work academy programme in Cities of London and Westminster constituency?

Answer from Guy Opperman

We are working with UK Hospitality and local providers up and down the country—from Liverpool to Manchester to Coventry; in London, of course; and also, to come, in Wales—to ensure that we have a hospitality work programme that provides employment training, work experience and a guaranteed job interview. It is free for all DWP jobseekers.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific assessment of the effectiveness of the programme was not provided; only general information about the initiative was given.

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Q2 Nickie Aiken
Employment
Context

The MP celebrated the launch of a hospitality SWAP pilot in her constituency, involving the Raffles London hotel. She is interested in further steps to ensure that the scheme benefits minorities and those struggling with cost-of-living issues.

Question

May I first thank the Minister for Employment for joining me this morning at Ben Venuti, a brilliant café and deli in Pimlico, to celebrate hospitality in Cities of London and Westminster? What further steps is the Department taking to ensure that the scheme benefits minorities and those struggling the most with the cost of living crisis?

Answer from Guy Opperman

It was a tough ministerial visit to an award-winning coffee shop this morning—somehow, I missed the earlier hotel visit. We are driving forward that hospitality pilot to try to tackle recruitment issues in the sector across the United Kingdom. Every person who passes gets a hospitality skills passport, which we believe can genuinely make a difference across all age groups and all sections of the community.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No specific steps were outlined for ensuring the scheme benefits minorities or those struggling with cost-of-living issues; only general statements about the pilot's goals were provided.

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