Partenaires sociaux unis : l’éducation et la formation sont essentielles pour des emplois hôteliers prêts pour l’avenir

Partenaires sociaux unis : l'éducation et la formation sont essentielles pour des emplois hôteliers prêts pour l'avenir

Le 21 novembre 2023| À l'honneur, Communiqué de presse, Tourisme

Brussels, 21 November 2023 - Against the backdrop of the European Year of Skills, HOTREC and EFFAT hosted
an event at the European Economic and Social Committee in Brussels centred around the theme, "Education
and Training: the driving force of skilled hospitality workers in Europe."

Social partners stood united to position education and training as one of the solutions to tackle labour shortages and
address skill gaps in the European hospitality sector. As members of the European Alliance for Apprenticeships (EafA),
HOTREC and EFFAT encouraged the development of apprenticeship schemes at the national level. They called upon
the European Commission to continue supporting these efforts, emphasizing that vocational education and training
should be considered a primary career option.

They stressed that close cooperation between governments, education establishments, and social partners is key
to develop ambitious training strategies for tourism and hospitality staff, including the improvement of digital and
sustainability skills.

It is social partners' goal to reshape perceptions among young people, urging them to view the hospitality sector as a
fertile ground for career development.

"European Hospitality is missing between 10-20% of its workforce. Today's event highlighted the importance of re-skilling and upskilling, with education and training emerging as one of the possible solutions to tackle this crippling
crisis." stated HOTREC President Alexandros Vassilikos.

Hospitality workers are the driving force of a crucial sector of the European economy, which functions as a catalyst
of social inclusion by offering millions of young people their first job. Addressing the rapidly changing skills needs is
paramount to the resilience and long-term sustainability of the sector," stated President Malin Ackholt.

At the event social partners seized the opportunity to underscore their collaboration within the European Social
Dialogue as key to shape attractive career paths in the sector.

Communiqués de presse