Training Skilled Trades Workers in Luxury Hospitality

Posted by Emma Rose Gallimore on September 18, 2019

In the luxury hospitality business, front of house employees are the most visible members of your staff, but they don't work alone. These guest-facing roles are supported by dozens of behind the scenes team members.

It's not easy to find skilled trades workers for your restaurant, hotel or casino, but you can't successfully run your business without them. They keep the facility beautiful, make it comfortable, and literally keep the lights on.

Finding and training skilled trades workers to fill jobs in hospitality can be expensive and time consuming. Without a solid training strategy in place you could be wasting valuable resources.

The skilled trades industries are facing a major skills gap. There just aren't enough plumbers, electricians, building professionals, and technicians to fill all of the open positions.

• 73% of firms have a hard time filling positions in construction.
• 115,000 new workers must be trained to meet demand in HVAC.
• 56% of plumbers say skills gap is the biggest threat their industry faces.

In this competitive job market, hospitality goes head-to-head with construction companies, manufacturers and other businesses to attract and retain skilled trades workers.

Fortunately, you don't have to wait around for the perfect candidate to stroll through your door, toolbox in hand. Instead, you can take enthusiastic but relatively unskilled new hires and train them for these vital positions. You can even cross-train or upskill entry level employees from other areas of your business to fill specialized roles.

Skilled trades and how to train them

Depending on the size of your business you may need just one multi-skilled professional or a whole team of skilled trades workers to keep your facilities in top shape. Here are some of the high demand skilled trades roles in luxury hospitality, along with advice on how to train them:

• Field Service Technician - Security systems, appliances and heating and ventilation units all need regular maintenance to run efficiently. They're also essential to the comfort and safety of your guests. When your field service technicians are well trained, you know they have both the technical skills and the communication skills to keep your facility running smoothly and your guests happy. With field service technician training, not only will technicians learn how to safely use essential tools, they'll also learn relevant mathematical principles, problem solving, and written communication skills.
  
• Facilities Maintenance - From welding to carpentry to HVAC, facilities maintenance mechanics do many of the unseen jobs that support guest comfort and convenience. Give them a solid footing in essential skills with the complete Facility Maintenance Mechanic program. Or create a customized course that fits the needs of your facilities maintenance team.
  
• Building Trades - As your business grows, so does your facility. New buildings and upgrades to the old require skilled building professionals who understand OSHA requirements and work confidently within them. Help workers build fundamental skills with carpentry training or construction laborer apprentice programs.
  
• Electrical Maintenance - Keeping your guests in the dark is bad for business. Even workers who aren't electricians should understand the basics of electricity and electrical safety. Prepare your employees to meet industry-wide requirements with the Electrical Maintenance Apprenticeship or give maintenance teams a firm grounding in electrical principles with Basic Electrical Training. Check local regulations to learn how employees can turn their interest in electricity into a valuable career.
  
• HVAC - The comfort of your guests is a top priority, which is why HVAC training is an essential investment. Make sure HVAC issues are handled efficiently, or avoid them in the first place, with an HVAC Technician career diploma or HVAC apprenticeship program.
  
• Mechanical Maintenance - These team members may be called to solve a whole range of problems, from troubleshooting AC and DC motors to maintaining air conditioning systems. Prepare your mechanical maintenance workers for anything the job throws at them with Mechanical and Electrical Maintenance Training.
  
• Plumber - Although becoming a plumber takes years of training and apprenticeship, maintenance workers should have at least a basic understanding of plumbing principles. Start building their skills, or help them take the first steps toward becoming a plumber with the Plumber Apprenticeship and Training program designed to meet Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training standards.

Finding skilled trades workers for luxury hospitality may be a challenge, but training them doesn't have to be. Penn Foster can help you design customized training courses for all of your skilled trades workers, the ones you have now and the ones you'll add as your business grows. From fundamentals to apprenticeship programs to career development, Penn Foster has a program to fit your needs.