National Skills Academy to merge with People 1st

People 1st and its subsidiary, the National Skills Academy for Hospitality are to merge into a single organisation.

The boards decided to carry out the integration due to the pressure of public funding cuts.

With Bob Cotton having reached the end of his tenure as chairman of the National Skills Academy for Hospitality, People 1st chairman David Fairhurst will take on his responsibilities.

Chief executive David McHattie will be leaving the National Skills Academy for Hospitality to develop the academy-endorsed Hospitality Benchmark brand, which provides customer insight for industry.

Fairhurst said: "I would like to thank Bob Cotton, David McHattie and everyone who has contributed to the development phase of the National Skills Academy for Hospitality. It is now the right time and environment to plan for its future success. I look forward to sharing exciting plans with the industry in the autumn."

Bob Cotton commented: "The team led by David McHattie has developed a trusted brand which identifies excellent solutions for industry. This integration with the resources of People 1st will allow the brand to grow and add even greater value for the industry that we exist to serve."

In recent years, the National Skills Academy for Hospitality has developed a number of well-regarded training programmes for the hospitality industry.

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By Gemma Rowbotham

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