Hospitality Skills Training Programmes Launched in England

The Department for Work and Pensions and UKHospitality are initiating hospitality Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs) in 26 locations in England.

The Department for Work and Pensions, in partnership with UKHospitality, is launching hospitality Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs) in 26 areas across England. The initiative aims to equip people with hospitality skills and assist them in securing jobs in the industry.

The new programmes offer job seekers practical hospitality training in a work setting, hands-on work experience, and a guaranteed interview with a selection of local and national employers. The employers are working in collaboration with Jobcentre Plus and local training providers.

Participants who complete the programme will receive a Hospitality Skills Passport. This digital, transferable award signifies competence and qualifications in the hospitality field. The passport is certified by OCN London, an awarding organisation, and accredited by UKHospitality, a prominent trade group in the sector.

The areas set to benefit from the hospitality SWAP programme include East Great Yarmouth, Norwich, Skegness, Suffolk, Midlands Birmingham, Coventry, North Blackpool, Cumbria, Liverpool, Manchester, Scarborough, South East Banbury, East Kent, Guildford, Gravesham, London, Mid Kent, Milton Keynes, North Kent, Reading, Solent, Worthing, and South West Bournemouth, Exeter, Torbay, Truro, and Penwith.

Hospitality businesses operating in any of these areas can participate in the programme. Interested businesses can register their interest through the form available on the official website.

SWAPs are crucial to the mission of keeping people in well-paid jobs for longer and contributing to their financial stability. The programme has proven successful in transforming people’s lives by boosting their skills. The government has committed to creating 100,000 new SWAP places next year as part of its Plan for Change.