STEWART NICOL: The importance of 'Highland hospitality' to the area's economic wellbeing cannot be overstated

Regular readers of this column will be aware I often call for collaboration and partnership working, which should come as no surprise given I strongly believe it is central to Inverness Chamber of Commerce’s vision of being dedicated to actively connecting and supporting Highland businesses, to support their growth.

As such, it was great to see such partnership working demonstrated clearly by Inverness chamber’s Developing the Young Workforce Inverness and Central Highland (DYWICH) team and member businesses in the delivery of the Inverness Big Hospitality Recruitment Drive. A broad range of businesses and public sector agencies, many of whom are chamber members, collaborated powerfully to address the very pressing staffing challenges facing our hospitality and tourism sector.

Led by the Highland Hotels Association, the Inverness Big Hospitality Recruitment Drive involved a number of bespoke events which were held at a range of city hotels. There was also a showcase event in the town house, where more than 100 jobs were on offer, covering a range of specialisms, in hotels of all sizes and traditions.

In addition to finding out the details of the opportunities to hand, potential applicants had opportunities to sample some excellent fare from the exhibiting hotels. The organisers were right to be extremely pleased with the results on the day, as the room was buzzing with activity and exhibitors were impressed with the level of interest shown.

The importance of “Highland hospitality” to the economic wellbeing of our region cannot be overstated. I strongly believe all of us in business, and wider society, have a responsibility to support and promote the sector which offers such rewarding and fulfilling life-long careers.

And while my DYWICH team are rightly focused on bringing together young people and employers, it is also clear that the hospitality sector has much to offer potential employees of all ages, regardless of career experience to date.

If you’d like to find out more, please contact us at info@dywich.co.uk

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