The hospitality sector is a vibrant and diverse sector with many different jobs and careers on offer. The hospitality industry is a major employer, with more than 3.5 million people directly employed within the sector across more than 180,000 businesses – in fact it is the 3rd largest employer in the country!
Comprised of four main areas; food & beverage, travel & tourism, accommodation, and entertainment and recreation, the sector covers a hug range of job roles and careers – from restaurants, bars and food trucks through to hotels, sports facilities, wellness retreats and travel agencies.
The hospitality sector is growing, with new job roles being created all the time – a recent report has revealed that the industry requires more than 100,000 skilled workers, so if you like meeting people, have a flair for cooking, or are interested in delivering excellent customer service this is the industry for you.
The hospitality industry includes businesses, which provide accommodation, meals and drinks in venues outside of the home. Services are provided to both UK residents and overseas visitors, which is where hospitality and travel & tourism overlap.
The sector makes a massive contribution to the UK economy and here in the South West it is one of the largest employers across the peninsula. Casual employment, full-time jobs, graduate programmes with study attached to them, are all available within the hospitality sector.
Many people work in the sector whilst they are studying, but there are lots of opportunity to study hospitality related subjects at a range of levels – from entry level through to graduate management programmes – the industry needs people to fill thousands of jobs, from accountancy, management, through to kitchen porter, receptionist, head chef, sales and marketing.
Currently Managers and Chefs are the most in-demand roles being sought by employers.
The range of job roles on offer is extremely diverse, and you can work in a number of different environments, including:
- Contract catering/food service management
- Hotels
- Leisure attractions
- Pubs, bars and nightclubs
- Restaurants, cafes and coffee shops
- Self-catering and holiday centres
In addition, there are lots of opportunities to work within events with more than 570,000 people employed with the events industry. Jobs include:
- Conference management
- Corporate days out and product launches
- Entertainment and sporting events
- Exhibition management
- Fundraising
- Weddings and parties
If you are interested in meeting people, and in delivering excellent customer service this is the industry for you. Hard work, and at times challenging, it is fast-paced and vibrant.
Many local training providers offer a wide range of training and qualifications to support you in gaining the job you want – everything from Chef to Receptionist, to Housekeeper and Hotel Manager, through to Conference Manager and Events Coordinator. Visit our Explore Training page where you can access more information on specific providers.
You can enter the sector in a number of ways, including:
- Full-time / part-time college courses
- Apprenticeships
- Higher National Certificates (HNC)
- Higher National Diplomas (HND)
- Foundation Degree
- Bachelors Degree
The hospitality sector is growing, with new job roles being created all the time – a recent report has revealed that the industry will require 100,000 skilled workers by 2020, so if you like meeting people, have a flair for cooking, or are interested in delivering excellent customer service this is the industry for you.
You can gain an insight into some of the jobs that exist by clicking on the links below:
Useful Links
Examples of Apprenticeship Standards – Hospitality
