WHY Hospitality®
Management workshops
Help managers recruit thoughtfully, hold useful interviews, welcome new colleagues and support them through induction and coaching.
Proposed workshops for 80 managers, with the final schedule to be agreed.
Hospitality Routes into Work
A better
start in
hospitality.
People with potential. Venues with opportunity. A proposed route into paid hospitality work across Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire, with support around every step.
The proposed route
- 01
Prepare.
Build confidence.
Understand the work. - 02
Connect.
Meet employers with
genuine roles. - 03
Start.
A clear welcome.
Support on both sides. - 04
Grow.
Keep learning.
Check how it is going.
People around you.
From first conversation to first shift and beyond.
The proposed delivery target
150 planned paid starts
90Nottinghamshire
60Leicestershire
Includes 30 apprenticeship starts within the Nottinghamshire target. The target counts 150 people once, each beginning a paid job or apprenticeship. These are proposed targets, not confirmed places or achieved results.
The programme
An introduction
opens a door.
Support helps someone walk through it.
Finding work and welcoming someone into a team are connected challenges. This programme brings them together.
WHY Hospitality® proposes a local route that combines candidate preparation, employer engagement, relevant learning and support for the managers helping people settle in.
WHY HATS™ would support the hiring conversations within that route, helping people and employers understand the person, the role and the working environment.
The programme is proposed for support through the Hospitality Support Fund. Funding has not been awarded. The final offer, dates, eligibility and delivery arrangements will be confirmed before recruitment opens.
Workshops & courses
Practical learning.
For the work ahead.
The proposed programme brings together WHY Hospitality® workshops and selected Northern Wine School courses, matched to the person and the role.
WHY Hospitality®
Hospitality workshops
Practical learning to help people prepare for hospitality work, build service confidence and contribute to a team. Sessions would be selected around the roles available.
Proposed: 25 three-hour group workshops, preparing up to 375 people for hospitality work.
Proposed provider: Northern Wine School
Wine knowledge & qualifications
Wine Essentials for relevant hospitality roles, with entry-level WSET study for a smaller group where it supports their next step.
Proposed: 60 Wine Essentials places, with 12 of those participants also offered entry-level WSET study.
All delivery is subject to funding, an agreed workshop schedule and provider arrangements. Learning would reflect role relevance, age and access needs, including alternatives for people who do not consume alcohol. WSET is a separate qualification and does not count as an apprenticeship.
A supported journey
More than a route
to an interview.
Every stage has a purpose. The pace and support would reflect the person and the opportunity.
- 01
Start with the person
Understand interests, availability, experience and any practical support needs. Make the next step clear.
- 02
Get ready for the work
Build confidence through preparation, practical learning and an honest picture of hospitality roles.
- 03
Meet the right opportunity
Connect with employers around genuine vacancies and open conversations about the role and the venue.
- 04
Make a human decision
Use interviews and conversations to explore the opportunity. Employers make their own hiring decisions.
- 05
Support the start
Agree expectations, prepare the welcome and support the manager responsible for the new colleague.
- 06
Learn from what happens
Follow up with the person and employer, record progress and use the learning to improve delivery.
This is the proposed journey. Participation would not guarantee an interview, a job or a particular outcome.
Built around people
Different starting points.
A shared purpose.
Support for the person looking for work, the venue offering it and the partners helping make it possible.
For people seeking work
Bring your potential.
Build your next step.
The proposed offer would help people explore hospitality, prepare for real roles and explain what they can bring to a team.
- Preparation and practical confidence building
- Relevant learning matched to the role
- Support to describe how you work, beyond a CV
- Introductions around genuine vacancies
- Follow-up after starting work
For hospitality employers
A clearer role.
A more supported start.
Independent venues would be supported to describe what the job really involves and prepare the people welcoming a new colleague.
- Practical conversations about vacancies and working conditions
- Candidate introductions shaped by role requirements
- Human support for interviews and hiring conversations
- Manager development and onboarding support
- Follow-up on starts, progress and what needs to change
For education and delivery partners
Connect learning
with local opportunity.
The programme would bring referral organisations, learning providers and employers around an agreed route, with clear responsibilities.
- Agreed referral routes and eligibility
- Learning linked to practical workplace needs
- Named contacts and clear handovers
- Appropriate safeguarding and information sharing
- Shared learning from verified delivery outcomes
These are proposed offers. Participation criteria, provider capacity and partner commitments require confirmation before launch.
Human hiring support, through WHY HATS™
A better conversation
starts with understanding.
A person is more than a work history. A workplace is more than a job title. HATS would help bring that context into the conversation.
Candidate DNA
Help someone describe their preferences, availability and how they like to work.
Venue DNA
Understand the working environment, team and everyday reality of the venue.
Role Context
Make the responsibilities, shifts and practical expectations of the job clear.
People make the decision.
HATS supports understanding and discussion. It does not make hiring decisions or guarantee a match. Differences are a starting point for conversation, never a reason to expect everyone to be the same.
From intention to delivery
Support needs
someone behind it.
The proposal includes practical coordination, defined responsibilities and a record of what actually happens.
A dedicated coordinator
A proposed paid role to manage referrals, scheduling, participant contact, evidence collection and day-to-day delivery.
Clear responsibilities
Agreed roles for employer contacts, learning providers and programme leadership, with appropriate safeguards and handovers.
Outcomes we can check
Track participation, learning, interviews, job starts and follow-up. Define measures in advance and report results honestly.
Research behind the plan
The research supports a practical approach: prepare people for real roles, help managers hold useful hiring conversations and keep support in place after someone starts.
Read the evidence informing the programme
- Start with real opportunities. ONS reports fewer accommodation and food-service vacancies than a year earlier in June to August 2026. Each cohort would be built around evidenced local roles. ONS, September 2026.
- Make learning practical. Hotels and restaurants had the highest share of staff with employer-reported skills gaps in the UK Employer Skills Survey 2024. Workshops would connect learning with the work participants are preparing to do. Employer Skills Survey 2024.
- Follow up after the start. CIPD's analysis of 2022–23 data found high employee turnover in hospitality. The programme would check progress at four and thirteen weeks and learn from people's experiences. CIPD turnover analysis.
These sources inform the design. They do not establish local job availability or demonstrate that HATS improves retention. Programme outcomes would be measured during delivery.
Useful to know
A few clear
answers.
Programme status:
In development
Is the programme funded?
Funding has not been awarded. The programme is proposed for support through the Hospitality Support Fund. Delivery depends on funding approval, an agreed delivery plan and confirmed partner capacity.
Where would it take place?
The proposed delivery areas are Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire, with targets of 90 and 60 paid starts respectively. The Nottinghamshire target includes 30 apprenticeship starts. Specific venues, learning locations and referral routes would be confirmed before recruitment.
Who would be able to take part?
The proposal connects people seeking hospitality work with eligible hospitality employers and delivery partners. Detailed eligibility, referral arrangements and available places would be confirmed before launch.
Would candidates have to pay to use HATS?
No. WHY HATS is free for candidates. The programme offer and any participant support would be set out clearly before recruitment begins.
Does HATS choose who gets a job?
No. Employers make the hiring decision, and candidates decide whether an opportunity is right for them. HATS is intended to help both sides understand the person, role and workplace through a more informed conversation.
Can I apply or refer someone now?
Participant applications and referrals are not yet open. Confirmed launch dates, eligibility and referral arrangements will be published before recruitment begins. Employers and potential partners can get in touch about the proposal.
Start a conversation
Better hospitality
starts with people.
If you represent a hospitality business, education provider or referral organisation, get in touch about the local roles, learning and support you could bring to the programme.
Email WHY HospitalityLooking for work? Participant applications and referrals are not yet open. Confirmed participation details will be published before recruitment begins.