Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of hospitality apprenticeship schemes in tackling labour shortages in the pub sector.

Apprenticeships are one of the ways in which employers in the hospitality sector can fill skills gaps and address labour shortages. Employers in the sector have developed a number of apprenticeships including the Level 2 Food and Beverage Team Member, Level 3 Hospitality Supervisor, and Level 4 Hospitality Manager. Published data on apprenticeships, including within the hospitality sector, can be found at: Apprenticeships, Academic year 2024/25 - Explore education statistics - GOV.UK.

To support our ambition of 50,000 more young people undertaking apprenticeships and foundation apprenticeships, we will expand foundation apprenticeships into sectors where young people are traditionally recruited, exploring occupations such as hospitality and retail. Additionally, to support SMEs to access apprenticeships, the government will fully fund apprenticeship training for non-levy paying employers (essentially SMEs) for all eligible people aged under 25 from the next academic year. Smaller employers in all sectors will benefit from this change.

The department and Skills England engage regularly with the hospitality sector, including industry bodies such as UK Hospitality, regarding training for the sector and the government’s plans for skills.

The government has also supported other sector-based initiatives such as the development of a Hospitality Skills Passport and hospitality Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs).