Young people living on the of Isle of Wight are being offered free, hospitality-focused training programmes.

The Your Future Hospitality initiative is aimed at people aged 16 to 23 years and is run by Isle of Wight-based HTP Training.

The training scheme was developed in collaboration with People 1st in a bid to make more people aware of the importance of the hospitality and tourism sector to the Island. It is hoped that the scheme will encourage more employers to allow their existing staff to gain qualifications.

Over the past three academic years, an average of 94 per cent of all apprentices who took part in apprenticeship training schemes with HTP remain in employment. HTP also recently launched its Traineeship programme, offering young people access to work experience, support in English, and maths, tips on CV-writing and advice on how to prepare for an interview.

Michelin-starred chef and restaurateur, Chris Galvin commented on the scheme, stating: “People don’t realise the job and skills shortage we have in this industry. It’s great to see the number of people HTP training have brought together to support this scheme.”