THERE is just enough time left to organise a Hospitality Careers Week event if your establishment has not already done so.
Hospitality Careers Week, held from 28 February to 4 March, is the industry's main opportunity during the year to open its doors to schools and colleges and to lay the foundation for recruiting the workforce of the future.
During the week organisations from all sectors of the industry will give presentations, demonstrations and open days at their businesses.
It is not too difficult to organise a school visit to your establishment. The visit can be tailored to suit the needs or restrictions of your business.
Some hotels and restaurants go to great lengths to make sure visitors leave with a true understanding of their business and will even allow students to take over the running of their business. Other companies prefer to host a lunch or hold a seminar about the industry.
The co-ordination of Careers Week is organised by the Hotel & Catering Training Company (HCTC) and the Hotel, Catering & Institutional Management Association. Information packs about the event are available from the HCTC, tel: 081-579 2400.
With an estimated 60,000 jobs being created in the industry between 1993 and 1995, taking total employment figures up to 2.5 million, and declining numbers of school-leavers entering industry in general, employers will be faced with the problem of recruitment.
Careers Week provides employers with a chance to promote this industry as a viable career option to parents and schools. Employers can also emphasise that hospitality is the second-fastest growth industry in the UK (after banking) and it currently employs one in 10 UK workers.
STUDENTS from West Suffolk College will once again take over the running of the Suffolk hotel in Bury St Edmunds, but this year they are spicing up their week of occupation with jazz and fashion events.
The complete takeover of the 33-bedroom Forte Heritage hotel will last five days and involve around 30 first- and second-year students from the catering college. It is the fourth time the hotel has agreed to such an event.
General manager Simon Fuller said the hotel was happy to host the event because it had a strong tie with the college and felt giving students this sort of work experience was useful.
A group of 14 second-year BTEC national diploma in hotel and institutional operations students will step into supervisory positions and will manage 18 first-year students.
During the week the students will organise and stage at the hotel a spring fashion show in conjunction with Marks & Spencer, a live jazz evening and a traditional English day with special guest the Rev John Ely, alias the Cooking Canon.