Post-Covid surge saw Offaly hotel's workforce more than double

WHEN the County Arms Hotel in Birr reopened fully after Covid-19 many of its key staff were upskilled by the Laois and Offaly Education & Training Board (LOETB).

The hotel's general manager Barry Kennedy said today (Monday, July 3) that the workforce jumped from 62 to 146 when normal business returned after the pandemic.

“And probably 90% of our team at that stage were first time employees in hospitality with little or no experience,” said Mr Kennedy.

Mr Kennedy said the situation facing the hotel was very challenging so they identified 16 “future leaders” and they embarked on training programmes with the LOETB, especially to address the big gap in middle management.

Those staff completed two “lean management” courses, Yellow Belt and Green Belt, resulting in new skills being learned and costs being reduced at the hotel by the introduction of efficiencies.

“That gave us great benefits in terms of the learning, in terms of what they brought to the hotel every day in terms of cost savings,” said the manager.

Mr Kennedy (pictured below) was speaking at the official opening of an Enterprise Hub at the LOETB's Midlands Skills Centre in Axis Business Park, Tullamore by the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Simon Harris TD.

“The support we received was brilliant. The training was done at times suitable to our business and suitable to the employees.”

He said the training was relevant to the working day of the employees who were provided with laptops for the duration of the courses.

At the end a graduation event took place in the hotel and the LOETB even provided caps and gowns for an occasion attended by families and partners.

“That really empowered them,” said Mr Kennedy. “It helped us create a culture of learning and development within the hotel which spreads throughout the team and everybody wants a part of that.”

Three of the 16 participants have since achieved internal promotions and Mr Kennedy said the hotel will now be working with the LOETB to train some of the younger restaurant staff in skills and personal service, along with kitchen staff undertaking training in culinary skills and training for chefs.

On top of that, he expects the County Arms, which he described as a typical four-star hotel for the region and country, to avail of the LOETB's apprenticeship in bar management.

Mr Kennedy said the support of the LOETB was invaluable and he encouraged people to consider working in the hospitality industry, saying it offered opportunities like no other.

“There's so many ways you can develop people,” said Mr Kennedy. “It's not always about points, it's about how we develop as people and hospitality allows people that opportunity.”

Joe Cunningham, chief executive of the LOETB, said the board was delighted to provide the training and pointed out that the hotel and other workplaces provided locations for it to offer work placements to its trainees.