Learn Today, Shape Tomorrow – developing the future of Scotland’s hospitality talent

We spoke to David Cochrane MBE, Chief Executive of Hospitality Industry Trust Scotland (HITS) about the new 12-week Tourism and Hospitality Talent Development Programme that launched in February 2021.

Why did HITS develop the programme?

In collaboration with the Scottish Government and sector employers, HITS has produced an initiative that will have a significant, positive, and extensive impact, long after Covid restrictions are just a memory.

We asked David why, in a time of such uncertainty, the Talent Development Programme has been conceived and launched.

‘We looked at the impact of Covid and furlough on the wellbeing of our hospitality people and wanted to do something meaningful. The Scottish Government had ring-fenced a sum for hospitality training, and there was a great deal of discussion on what that money should be used for.’

David continued, ‘We felt that leadership, management and supervisory people management skills were always going to be key to the future of hospitality in Scotland, and if we got it right, almost everything else would develop from there. This programme will give the future leaders of our industry the skills, knowledge and networks they need to confidently take our industry forward.’

With 2000 participants from over 6000 hospitality businesses, this is the biggest initiative of its kind in Scotland.

Developing leadership skills in Scotland

The programme has 3 levels – Supervisor, Manager, and Leader.

The content has been designed to build on and enhance the abilities of managers at these levels, providing new skills, insights, tools and techniques, to allow them to get the best performance from themselves and the rest of their teams.

Each programme consists of a series of ten training modules.  There are six core modules that everyone taking part must complete, and then four additional modules specifically tailored to the management experience of that level.

An example of the modules on the Management Level programme include:

• Step into leadership – a look at the qualities and skills needed to become a leader, what kind of leader are you and where are the gaps?
• Decisions as a leader – learning the basics of problem-solving and decision making, from early signs to impact.
• Coaching conversations – providing participants with the basic tools to develop people and improve performance through coaching.

Employers were asked to submit candidates who were working in Scottish hospitality. Applicants had to be over 16 years of age and working at any level in any job role.  Due to the level of interest in the programme, businesses were only able to apply on behalf of up to 10% of their workforce.

Supporting redundant hospitality people

In an unusual move, the programme was also made available to anyone who has become redundant and was unlikely to be re-employed by their previous business, but who planned to return to the sector in the future.

The link between skills development and retention – Apex Hotels

Robert Allan is HR Director at Apex Hotels. We asked Robert what prompted him to get involved. ‘We saw this as a great opportunity to upskill the knowledge of our people whilst they were on furlough or flexi-working. We have 42 employees on the programme.’

‘We wanted to give our people a chance to feel a sense of motivation and the confidence to feel they were prepared for when we reopen. It is about developing emotional intelligence in our managers and leaders.’

‘We saw the programme as an opportunity to support our managers and leaders to be resilient and confident; that’s the real key to the future of the sector. They also have a chance to explore the development of emotional intelligence, which we believe is a key driver for empathy. We’ve got to become more empathetic as a sector and this programme has a great focus on that.’

‘It’s also about the longer term and developing a recruitment and retention strategy that works for Apex Hotels. I want our people to truly believe that we are giving them every opportunity to develop, to be confident in their abilities, and to have a strong sense of belonging to the management team.’

Developing the leadership and soft skills our people need – Radisson Blu, Glasgow

Richard Mayne is General Manager at the Glasgow Radisson Blu Hotel and has 19 people on the Talent Development Programme.

‘We wanted to get our people involved. There’s no doubt there will be a skills gap when we come out of Covid and we need to upskill our guys to allow them to have a greater degree of confidence and to feel inspired to be part of the business and hospitality in Scotland.’

‘We realised that one of the impacts of Covid was that roles had changed but there hadn’t been an opportunity to upskill. Technically our people could do the job but there was an aspect of management and leadership skills that were missing. The way the programme is structured, and the focus on leadership and soft skills, means our people will be much more confident in their roles.’

Preserving the culture of hospitality within Scotland

Richard continued, ‘There’s no doubt the Talent Development Programme has opened a conversation about the culture of the sector in Scotland. Many people still see hospitality as a stop-gap and one really positive thing is that the course has created a forum to meet others, albeit virtually, and share experiences.’

‘This type of development programme, with the coursework and breakout groups, is helping to create new networks for everyone involved. It’s providing insight to all areas of the sector at all levels’.

‘Culturally, participants are learning that it’s OK not to have all the answers, where to go to find what they need and to have the skills to recognise when they need to do that. I believe strongly that if we give our people the right skills they will develop and rise, become better leaders and managers and share that experience with the people they manage and lead.’

Delivering excellence in Scottish hospitality

Its early days but the programme is already being hailed as a success, being described as   inspiring, exceptional, thought-provoking, and excellent by participants describing their early experiences.

The facilitators, the Extraordinary Training Company are also receiving high praise for their delivery of a challenging virtual programme and their ability to motivate participants to really get involved.

‘We wanted to send a positive message of support to the industry and bring everyone together.’ David Cochrane commented, ‘By allowing 2000 people to participate, we are protecting the long-term future of hospitality in Scotland, developing the personal growth of those working in the sector and creating a strong infrastructure for future development.’

You can find out more about the HIT Scotland Tourism and Hospitality Talent Development Programme here.