New online qualification and careers guide for hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism professionals. 

22 November, 2006:  Tourism Minister Shaun Woodward launched the UK Skills Passport to a specially invited audience of leading employers, hosted by People 1st, the Sector Skills Council for the hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism industries. 

Members of the People 1st council, trustees and guests, gathered at the Cumberland Hotel in London’s West End, where the Minister launched the Passport, saying:   “As we work to get the tourism industry into shape for the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, the need for excellent staff in hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions has never been greater."
 
"For too long, tourism workers in the UK  have found it difficult to prove their skills to new employers, who in turn have struggled to find reliable information on training and funding."
 
"The UK Skills Passport, which is fully backed by the Government, will change that by bringing all this information together in one central location." 

"That’s great news for workers, great for the economy and great for the visitors who will benefit from a more motivated, skilled and professional workforce."

The Minister then presented UK Skills Passports to staff from Merlin Entertainments, the name behind Legoland, Sea Life Centres, the Dungeons, and other major visitor attractions.  Merlin Entertainments has committed to giving all permanent staff a UK Skills Passport as part of their benefits.

The UK Skills Passport has been developed by People 1st, with the help of industry, and it promises to revolutionise the way individuals and employers plan career development, access fit for purpose qualifications and courses and keep track of completed training and qualifications. It will provide industry with the clear and concise communication channel - which has been missing for so long - thereby unravelling the spaghetti of skills and qualifications. The UK Skills Passport also illustrates career road maps for all industries in the footprint and highlights the vast opportunities that exist in this vibrant and growing sector to current and prospective employees. 

People 1st chief executive Brian Wisdom said: “We’re delighted to have the backing of the Minister for this important initiative.  It has often been said that qualifications in this industry are confusing and difficult to track.  Now we are providing employers and employees with an easy way of recording people’s achievements.”

The UK Skills Passport endorses the concept of continuous personal development and avoids unnecessary repetition of training, which costs businesses many thousands of pounds each year, as individuals’ skills, qualifications and training are not always recorded by previous employers. 

The London launch for England follows an earlier unveiling of the Skills Passport for Scotland, in August 2006 by the Scottish Tourism Minister Patricia Ferguson.

For more information on the UK Skills Passport and People 1st visit www.people1st.co.uk  

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For further information, please contact:
William Murray PR: Niki Duncan 
Tel: 020 8256 1360 or email niki@williammurraypr.co.uk