The hospitality sector skills council, People 1st, is overhauling hospitality, catering, travel and tourism qualifications to meet the industry's need for a more simple, transparent and flexible system.

The biggest overhaul of the qualifications process in 20 years follows a detailed consultation with employers and other stakeholders throughout the UK to review existing skills needs and identify emerging or specialist requirements.

The review found that employers and employees did not understand the relevance of the 400-plus industry-related qualifications across the UK

As a result People 1^st will develop 30 new qualifications and a new apprenticeship framework for hospitality and catering will be available in August.

The new portfolio of qualifications is designed to fit into the new Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) and allows students to build a flexible qualification by banking the required number of credits for course units.

Employers too should find it easier to measure the level of qualifications achieved by potential employees. 

Martin-Christian Kent, director of policy and research at People 1^st, said: "We have taken a holistic and collaborative approach towards reforming our offering of qualifications, ensuring they are aligned with each other and provide clear progression routes and career development.

"It is essential the right qualifications are in place so that staff can develop the right skills and address any skills gaps they may have. We will continue working closely with sector employers so that funding is wisely invested in the qualifications that make the most difference to their business."