KEY POINTS:
As the 2011 Rugby World Cup draws closer, concerns are growing about finding staff with the right skills to serve spectators.
While finding staff would not be a significant problem, finding those with a consistently high standard of service skill and the right attitude would be challenging, a report commissioned by Rugby New Zealand 2011 and the hospitality industry's training organisation (ITO) HSI said.
The report, released today, said an industry-wide approach to recruitment, training, management and staff retention was crucial to delivering a world class catering and hospitality experience during the tournament.
Ian Crowe, travel and hospitality manager for Rugby New Zealand 2011, said the build-up to the World Cup over the next two years was a fantastic chance for the food services sector raise its standards.
"In the past, food service providers have taken a variety of approaches to training, mainly developing their own in-house programmes," he said.
"This is a great opportunity for them to partner with training organisations to help prepare for the tournament by using their knowledge and working together to develop nationally credited training programmes that focus on key hospitality skills and create long-term benefits for the industry."
About 1.7 million spectators are expected to attend the event, with a total of 48 matches around the country over seven weeks.
- NZPA
