Award-winning Llandudno hotel Lauriston Court has been announced this week as the first hospitality skills ambassador for the ‘Future Skills… food for thought’ campaign.
As an ambassador, Lauriston Court Hotel will be featured in the first of a series of short films highlighting the importance of training in delivering quality long-term and rewarding careers in the hospitality industry.
Over the coming months the campaign will be looking for further food and drink skills ambassadors to highlight the importance of skills across the entire food and drink supply chain, from agriculture through to manufacturing, retail and hospitality.
Husband and wife team Ian and Carol-Lynne Robbins have run their 4 star, 11-bed seafront hotel in the pretty north Wales town since 2010, having formerly worked as a kitchen fitter and nurse. The beautiful Victorian townhouse opposite Llandudno’s pier offers sumptuous stays, having this year won the TripAdvisor ‘Travellers’ Choice’ award for ‘best service ‘ in the world and beating 650,000 other hotels in the process. “The announcement by the internet travel review company led to 20,000 hits on the small hotel’s website in less than 24 hours!” exclaimed Carol-Lynne. Lauriston Court are also shortlisted for the Tourism Partnership North Wales Awards in the Daily Post Business Achievements Awards 2013, with the winners being announced on the 5th December.
The ‘Future Skills… food for thought’ campaign has been organised by the Welsh Food & Drink Skills Project after research found that there exists significant skills gaps across the food and drink supply chain. In response to this research the Sector Skills Councils which represent the industry have come together to encourage the up-skilling of approximately 75,000 existing workers as well as finding new entrants for the industry by 2020.
Commenting, Ian Robbins said:
“It’s very important as an owner and manager to share your training and specialist skills with your employees, by giving them an important role in the success of your business. For example, if our front of house staff and housekeepers weren’t enthusiastic and properly trained, our business wouldn’t be the success it is: presentation and service is absolutely everything in hospitality.”
Carol-Lynne also added:
“We look after our staff and make sure they have all the skills they need to carry out the job to the best of their ability – we don’t just let them train then get on with it, we’re always reminding them about the high standards we’re aiming for. That way we get satisfied customers, and the staff get satisfaction from doing their jobs well; they even get little notes left by guests in the rooms thanking them for their hard work.
“You can never be complacent in the hospitality sector: it’s vital to always be on your toes and remain innovative. That’s why we’re currently training Stacey, one of our housekeepers, on the job to achieve an NVQ in hospitality. She takes pride in her work, and one day hopes to open her own hotel!”
Following research commissioned by the project highlighting significant skills gaps across the supply chain, the campaign will run over 2013/14 travelling the breadth of Wales and engaging with leading employers and membership bodies from across the industry. It is projected that through plugging these gaps the sector can expand further over the coming decade and consolidate its position as the largest collective employer in Wales.
Sian Roberts-Davies, Business Development Manager at Lantra, said: “We’re really proud that the world’s number one ranked hotel for service has come on board with us to promote the vital need for quality staff training and best practice to thrive in the food and drink industry. Ian and Carol-Lynn are proof that taking the time to train staff properly does pay off.”
Project partners have developed this call to action due to the vital role the sector plays in underpinning the wider Welsh economy. Together, all of the businesses that make up the food and drink industry in Wales employ around 230,000 people. This represents 18% of the Welsh workforce, making it the largest collective employer in Wales. Generating around £6.5bn of sales revenue annually, the industry is, in fact, now the largest combined industry of employment in Wales.
As part of the campaign, leading employers and membership bodies will be signing-up their organisations to promote the benefits of skills in across the food and drink industry. With the correct training and experience, it can provide the opportunity to develop a challenging and rewarding lifelong career in the food and drink industry.
The Welsh Food & Drink Skills Project is supported the Sector Priorities Fund Pilot programme with funding from the European Social Fund through the Welsh Government, and delivered in partnership between Lantra, the Land Based Skills Council, Improve – the Food and Drink Skills Council and People 1st Cymru, the Hospitality and Tourism Skills Council.
