While almost 90% of hospitality firms believe that further training investment would help with recruitment and retention, 62.5% are put off by the risk that an employee could leave after completing their training. Three-quarters of all hospitality managers surveyed are concerned about the time it takes to upskill new members of staff at junior level in particular. 

Commenting on the research, Jill Whittaker, managing director at HIT Training, said: “As well as playing a role in attracting and retaining valuable team members, apprenticeships have always been one of the best ways to unlock skills quickly and fast-track staff into positions where they can make a real impact.

“New flexible training models under consideration by the Government are set to make this process even quicker. For example, front-loaded training will be invaluable in helping apprentices to hit the ground running and operate efficiently for their employers from the very beginning.”

The research found that most hospitality businesses are interested in flexible training options and almost 70% of employees in hospitality would be more willing to start an apprenticeship or training course if they could condense the learning into a shorter period of time.

HIT Training has released a toolkit answering common questions about apprenticeships, with advice on how businesses can maximise them through flexible training options.