The hospitality industry faces a huge shortage of workers such as waiters, bartenders and chefs as a result of a hard Brexit, a new report has warned.
A study suggested that most hospitality business owners and managers are expecting to suffer a shortage of labour if the UK leaves the EU without a deal, with many believing the UK does not have the workforce available to fill the vacancies.
The jobs most at risk of shortages from Brexit include waiters/waitresses, bar staff, hotel concierge, chefs and restaurant managers, according to online training provider High Speed Training.
Dr Richard Anderson, head of learning and development at High Speed Training, said: "Hospitality has the largest staff shortfall of all UK sectors and a widening skills gap - including a declining number of catering college students and home-grown qualified recruits.
"Brexit is accelerating this labour shortage due to the industry's strong reliance on migrant workers.
"The Home Office has signalled that EU freedom of movement would end immediately in a no-deal scenario, and the exacerbation effect of this on already challenging conditions has been the focus of debate within the sector.
"Businesses need contingency plans that consider how the service currently being delivered can be maintained to ensure any negative impacts to the bottom line are minimised."
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