Mid Wales tourism and training companies join forces for skills workshops

Regional tourism trade organisation, MWT Cymru, and award-winning training provider, Cambrian Training Company, are joining forces to deliver skills training to tourism and hospitality businesses across Mid Wales.

A programme of practical skills workshops, curated by Cambrian Training Company, will be delivered online to members of MWT Cymru throughout 2022 to help tackle a skills and staffing crisis across the tourism and hospitality industry.

The first online event to launch the workshop series will take place on February 8, coinciding with National Apprenticeship Week (February 7 – 13).

Businesses will hear from speakers at Cambrian Training Company about the benefits of apprenticeships, a selection of the apprenticeships on offer and how to recruit an apprentice, followed by a question and answer session.

Cambrian Training Company was established in Welshpool in 1995 as a subsidiary of Mid Wales Tourism to deliver vocational skills that supported the development of the region’s tourism sector.

It is now and independent company, with offices across Wales, and the leading provider of apprenticeships to the country’s hospitality industry.

MWT Cymru, also known as Mid Wales Tourism, is a membership organisation that represents more than 600 tourism and hospitality businesses across Powys, Ceredigion and Southern Snowdonia.

MWT Cymru is a membership organisation that promotes the region through its Visit Mid Wales marketing and PR activity, as well as providing specialist business support. It also represents the Mid Wales tourism sector at a regional, national and UK level.

Arwyn Watkins, OBE, managing director of Cambrian Training Company, said: “We have always remembered our roots with Mid Wales Tourism and we are delighted to be working with MWT Cymru to deliver these workshops for their members, free of charge.

“This is an important way for us to help support the Welsh tourism industry to find new ways of building their businesses, supporting local communities and enhancing the skill set of those employed in this vital industry for the Welsh economy. We must keep training and skills at the forefront.”

Val Hawkins, chief executive of MWT Cymru, said: “We share Cambrian Training Company’s concern about the staffing crisis affecting the tourism and hospitality industry.

“With investment in skills and training being so important, we encourage all our businesses to sign up for these skills workshops and look longer-term at the benefits of providing apprenticeship opportunities.

“Supporting the tourism industry in Mid Wales is at the heart of what we do and we are very pleased to bring the expertise of Cambrian Training Company to our members.”