04.07.2022

Umbrella Training to attract students into hospitality with giant tech dome at Skills London

Umbrella Training has partnered with leading hospitality employers to create a giant technology dome packed with sector relevant video games at Skills London - aiming to attract young people into the sector and combat the staffing shortage.

The training and apprenticeship provider has booked the largest space possible to promote careers in hospitality at the show, the UK’s largest jobs and careers event for 14-24-year-olds, taking place 25-26 November 2022 at ExcelLondon.

The event offers organisations the opportunity to engage with future talent, with the possibility of reaching 30,000 young people across two days.

The Hospitality Zone will be 8x8m and the inflatable dome will be visible from the main entrance, surrounded by Augmented Reality experiences and full of games to inspire the next generation of hospitality professionals.

Umbrella is designing several video games titled ‘Level Up With Hospitality’ which will give them an insight into roles in hotels, contract catering, pubs and restaurants.

The games include ‘Hotel Hijinks’, ‘Caterer Chaos’, ‘Pub panic’, and ‘Waiter Waltz’.

The high-speed games aim to showcase the fun, fast and high paced roles avalible in hotels, contract catering, pubs and restaurants.

There will also be a selfie booth and several competitions.

Partners already signed up to attend alongside Umbrella include the Goring hotel, the Royal Air Force Club, Caterer.com, the Strand Palace hotel and Red Carnations Hotels.

Skills London 2019 saw Umbrella joined by 10 industry partners and attracted more than 500 potential recruits to its talent bank - a place where young people can register their interest for roles.

This year, the organisation hopes to gain 1,000 new contacts and support at least 100 young people directly into hospitality jobs from the event.

Adele Oxberry, founder and CEO of Umbrella Training, said: “We’re so excited to finally be back in-person to showcase the wonderful world of hospitality careers at Skills London, and have pulled out all the stops to make sure hospitality stands out. This year, schools are only allowed in for two hours at a time – so we have to stand taller and be louder.

“We’re building on the success of our Virtual Reality Hotel from 2017-19 – two years have gone by where young people have been taught at home using gamification, online tools and platforms for their learning, so we are continuing with a technological approach to inspire the next generation.

“There is still time for employers to take part and reach out to young people to show them how they can level up with hospitality, and we’d encourage any employer looking for staff to get involved.”

The number of job vacancies in the hospitality sector has been estimated at around 174,000 by the ONS and 400,000 by UKH.

Vicki Tollman, executive vice president of the Red Carnation Hotel Collection, said: “Skills London is an ideal partner for us as they enable us to reach those bright young people who show potential and the love for hospitality that is so needed today and who are making decisions on their future career.

“The hospitality industry is one of the most diverse in terms of the job opportunities, so now more than ever, it is important to encourage young people to think about a career in hospitality as it also teaches so many life skills. Parents have a huge influence on their children’s career choice and Skills London gives employers an opportunity to reach out to parents too. Nurturing a pipeline of young talent and engaging with school children is key and it’s a win-win in resolving any future skills gaps.”

Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UKHospitality, added: “We are delighted to be supporting Umbrella Training on their stand at Skills London. As an organisation representing the vast and diverse array of hospitality businesses, we know only too well the importance of communicating with young people at what is a crucial time in their development. Hospitality can drive national post-pandemic recovery, but only if it has access to enough staff, with the right skills.

“Umbrella’s novel approach to engaging the younger end of our workforce is invaluable in terms of ensuring that we spread the word about the fantastic job opportunities, development paths and rewarding careers available in hospitality.”

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