Umbrella Training launches initiative to support hospitality SMEs

Hospitality training and apprenticeship provider Umbrella Training has launched Boost, a new initiative to support the immediate staffing needs of small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the hospitality sector.

Designed to help London-based hospitality businesses affected by the economic fallout of the pandemic, Boost will offer training tools to support recruitment, retention and people strategies.

By analysing the organisational, departmental and individual training needs of each business, Umbrella Training will create free bespoke development sessions and programmes to support each team's requirements.

The company's sector specialists will deliver programmes solely focused on their essential training needs, which may be through upskilling workforces, offering employability and transferable skills-based training or covering areas such as communications, team working, resilience and time management.

Funded by European Social Funds and in partnership with training and development company Rinova, Boost has been developed over the last four months and is aimed at businesses with fewer than 250 staff members and an annual turnover that does not exceed €40m (£34m).

Adele Oxberry, founder of Umbrella Training, said: "This programme is designed to get people to get back to pre-pandemic service levels, and help reinstall the confidence of staff and teams.

"It's no secret to see how tough things have been for our sector so we're delighted to be able to offer some support as it recovers."