Cotton Announced as Chair

People 1st has announced that British Hospitality Association chief executive Bob Cotton, has been named as chairman of the new National Skills Academy for Hospitality.

The appointment follows Government sign-off of the People 1st business plan to launch the Academy drawing in over £100 million of government investment for the 66,000 additional learners it will provide for the industry.

The Academy bid was co-ordinated by People 1st, along with key partners such as Barcelo Hotels, Compass Group, Terry Laybourne and the Edge Foundation, and represents an unprecedented shift in funding for the training in hospitality.

Cotton has held the role of chief executive of the BHA for over 8 years, and the organisation currently represents over 9,000 hotels, 11,000 restaurants and 19,000 contract catering units.

Brian Wisdom, chief executive of People 1st commented: “We are delighted to announce Bob's appointment as chair for the National Skills Academy. He has demonstrated his absolute commitment to improving skills for the hospitality industry.

“People 1st and its partners have attracted a massive amount of funding which will now be put into training for hospitality, and we look forward to working with Bob to ensure that the Academy delivers for our industry.”