Hospitality expert joins Developing the Young Workforce board for its the Inverness and Central Highland region
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YOUTH employment group Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) has added a fresh face to its board to help in its goal of boosting skills in the Inverness and Central Highland region.
Ken Loades, brings a wealth of experience from the hospitality and tourism industries having worked for over a decade at Inverness hospitality and leisure firm Cru Holdings, where he is currently operations director.
His appointment is part of a drive to get more young Highlanders to think about a career in one of the region’s most varied and successful industries and to help equip them with the skills needed to succeed.
The food and drink sector alone is worth £14 billion to the Scottish economy and DYW is keen to make sure the region is protected from a potential skills shortage.
Mr Loades commented: “The industry has been very good to me. I started as a kitchen porter and worked my way through the ranks. This gave me a solid grounding and a good understanding of the hospitality industry. The biggest opportunity I see is with young people. In my new role, I will be lucky enough to be in the position to encourage young people to choose hospitality as a career and open their minds to the wealth of different jobs and experiences available.”
DYW programme manager Andy Maxtone said: “Hospitality is a big part of our strategy for this year and we are looking forward to Ken providing additional oversight and guidance.”
