MP urges Education Secretary to bring forward rollout of Catering T-Level to help hospitality staffing crisis

Cumbrian MP Tim Farron has written to the Secretary of State for Education Gillian Keegan, asking her to reconsider the decision to delay the introduction of an new training course which could be important in addressing the staffing crisis in the hospitality sector.

The Catering T-Level had been due to roll out this September, but has now been delayed by the Government until "beyond 2024".

This is the second time the qualification, which had been expected to be a catering and hospitality T-level, has been delayed.

The T-Level had meant to be up and running back in 2020. Since then the Government has quietly dropped 'hospitality' from its name.

Tim discussed the issue during a recent meeting with local hospitality leaders and Cumbria Tourism at their headquarters in Staveley.

During the meeting, Tim heard that 86% of businesses who took part in the organisation's latest survey said that they are struggling to recruit staff. That's an increase from 73% six months ago.

In his letter to the Education Secretary, Tim said: "I struggle to understand the DfE's rationale for this decision. We have a labour shortage which is disproportionately impacting the hospitality and tourism sectors.

"In the Lake District, where the hospitality and tourism sectors comprise a large proportion of our local economy, this has massive knock-on effects which are hurting business.

"The Government says we should grow our own talent but then it stops us doing it by delaying the T-level?

"This makes little sense. Doing so will reduce the number of young people going directly into the industry and will also reduce the number of people going on to the degree apprenticeship in tourism at the University of Cumbria in Ambleside.

"Please will you commit the Government to ensure that the T-Level in catering is offered as a matter of urgency?"