The Hospitality Skills Passport is an exciting new programme which aims to address the challenges which businesses face in attracting and retaining skilled employees and provides portable, career-enhancing, training for employees.
Designed by leading industry association, UKHospitality and delivered by local further education providers, the programme provides an industry-standard qualification, educating participants with the practical catering and hospitality skills required alongside the development of those essential behaviours needed for working in hospitality, providing employers with skilled, productive and resilient team members.
The programme is delivered as a Sector-based Work Academy Programme (SWAP) in partnership with the Department of Work & Pensions and Jobcentre Plus. These programmes provide employers with job-ready, trained staff and support with recruitment free of charge in exchange for their participation in the programme delivery, via interviews for potential candidates, provision of case study, talks or visits to give the job seekers invaluable industry insights and experience.
In Kent, the training programme will be delivered in partnership with the three college groups across the county, North Kent College, MidKent College and EKC Group.
It’s a free recruitment tool – if you have a vacancy that needs filling, the Jobcentre Plus will find suitable job seekers to undertake the industry specific training programme.
It’s a collaborative programme – work with local FE colleges and Jobcentre Plus to both train and recruit from within your local community.
Be part of strengthening our industry – the comprehensive training programme creates a standard baseline of the essential knowledge, skills and behaviours. It can be used at every level of the sector, from new starters to experienced staff, and will further professionalise training and development in hospitality.
As an employer, you can work with your local further education college and Jobcentre Plus to train job seekers through the Hospitality Skills Passport programme to fill your vacancies.
To get involved, you must have a vacancy (current or upcoming). This can be at any level, whether entry-level or a more senior position.
The type of roles this programme can help you to fill:
Food & beverage assistant
Restaurant manager
Barista
Commis chef
Catering assistant
Team Leader
Reception manager
You will also be expected to support the delivery of the programme in a way that suits your capacity and expertise, this can include:
Interviewing participants
Conducting site visits
Providing a case study
Providing industry masterclasses
Providing work experience opportunities
The programme delivers 20 days of learning for job seekers including both classroom learning and work experience, covering areas such as:
Essential employment skills, including problem solving, communication, creative thinking etc
Ready for hospitality, including an understanding of behaviours and attitudes values in the sector, job roles, work settings and progression etc.
Statutory training, including health and safety, allergens and food hygiene, data protection in a customer service setting etc.
Customer service skills, including delivering a warm welcome, reading guests, sales through service, exceeding expectations etc.
Click here for more details of the modules included in the Hospitality Skills Passport programme.
Information Days
Come along to your local information day to meet with the training provider, learn more about the programme content and find out how your business can get involved. To attend, you should have a current, or up-coming vacancy.
If you'd like to book your place at one of the information days please contact Louisa - louisa.mungall@visitkent.co.uk
East Kent -
Thursday 22nd May 2025, 10am - 2pm (this is a drop-in session)
Mill House, Mill Lane, Margate, CT9 1LB
More events to follow...
Register your interest
If you are interested in getting involved, or if you’d like more information then please get in touch with Louisa Mungall – louisa.mungall@visitkent.co.uk