Addressing labour shortages affecting the travel and hospitality sector demands a multifaceted approach, focusing on facilitating worker mobility, adopting innovative technologies, and changing the sector’s image as a workplace. In collaboration with the University of Surrey’s School of Hospitality and Tourism Management (SHTM), the European Travel Commission (ETC) has embarked on a long-term strategy to reshape the perception of the sector among the next generation of workers. The project aims to develop two series of children’s books, each consisting of six books, to introduce transferable skills learned in the Tourism and Hospitality industry to children aged 5-11. These books are set to be available in February 2024 and will serve as a unique way to promote the industry’s advantages as a career path.

The primary mission of this project is to address the challenges faced by the Tourism and Hospitality industry, including labour shortages and an unfavourable image. The project seeks to accomplish the following:

• **Support the industry: **The books aim to attract individuals eager to learn and explore diverse opportunities within the Tourism and Hospitality sector, providing them with valuable on-the- job training and the flexibility to work across different roles and countries.
• **Build confidence and pride of people working in the sector: **To not only contribute to personal satisfaction, but to drive the ripple effect that fosters a positive work culture, promotes personal and professional growth, and contributes to overall well-being and success.
• **Empower parents: **By offering books that introduce transferable skills taught in the sector, the project aims to empower parents to educate their children about key skills essential for various careers. The project emphasises that the Tourism and Hospitality industry can serve as a platform for developing these skills, allowing individuals to pivot into other professions without being tied to a single area or location.

**Objectives and Research Design: **To achieve its goals, the project conducted a three-step sequential, mixed-method research to answer key questions:

**1. Identify transferable skills: **An online panel survey with people who have been, or are working in the travel and hospitality sector was designed and used to reveal:

• Parental aspirations in terms of the career choice of their children.
• Barriers to work in the Tourism and Hospitality sector.
• Transferable skills acquired when working in the Tourism and Hospitality industry.
• Transferable skills the sector is looking for.
• Transferable skills in non-tourism sectors are demanding.

**Results **

• Parents hope for their children to pursue careers in engineering followed by law, finance, and healthcare. Tourism and Hospitality is in the mid-field.
• Key barriers to work in the sector are low income, long working hours, difficult customers, lack of training, and stressful and complex working environments but also others such as job instability, low social recognition, negative social image, and limited career progression.
• Skills learned by working in the sector include communication, customer service, teamwork, problem-solving, multitasking, patience, time management, flexibility, leadership, language proficiency, attention to detail, empathy, and many more.
• Skills needed largely overlap with skills learned.
• Transferable skills acquired in the Tourism and Hospitality industry are highly relevant in other sectors. These skills include communication, teamwork, problem-solving, leadership, adaptability, and more, highlighting the industry’s potential as a training ground for diverse careers.
• **Transferable skills model: **The model comprises soft skills and hard skills. The first large group of **soft skills **is called (Inter)Personal Effectiveness which consists of two broad categories called Interpersonal Communication Skills (i.e., Workplace Etiquette, Intercultural Communication, Communication with/to Others, and Emotional Intelligence) and Personal Growth and Development (i.e., Positive Character Traits, Self-Mastery, Attitude and Mindset, Wellbeing and Agility). The second soft skill group is Professional Excellence (i.e., Creativity, Productivity, and Strategic Leadership Skills).
• **Hard Skills **are called Hospitality and Business Proficiency and comprise Business Management Skills, IT Skills and Digital Knowledge, Culinary Skills and Events, and Industry Knowledge. The link between soft and hard skills is seen as a mutual relationship impacting each other.
• A wealth of suggestions concerning how children could learn soft skills is provided.

**Conclusion: **

This project involved three main components: identifying transferable skills, categorisation of 116 transferable skills and an exploration of effective approaches for children to learn soft skills. A Transferable Skills Model has been developed that comprises categories of soft and hard skills and demonstrates the interconnectedness of various skills. Notably, soft and hard skills were found to influence each other mutually. In the context of children’s education, a diverse group of experts discussed methods for teaching soft skills. The project successfully generated valuable insights into skill classification and educational strategies.

By introducing transferable skills in adventure stories to children through engaging children’s books, the project seeks to inspire the next generation to consider careers in the Tourism and Hospitality sector. Additionally, the research has highlighted the industry’s potential to provide skills valuable across a range of professions. As a long-term strategy, this project contributes to shaping a brighter future for the industry by addressing labour shortages and changing perceptions. The first two books (one for the age group 5-7 and one for the age group 8-11) will be released in early 2024.

1. Foreword
2. Executive Summary
3. List of Figures
4. List of Tables
5. Introduction
6. List of Transferable Skills
7. Transferable Skills Model
8. Training
9. Methodology