AN innovative project is taking place aimed at supporting Pembrokeshire’s visitor economy, and Pembrokeshire college is taking the lead.

As part of a Pembrokeshire County Council bid, the project is bidding for funding via the Community Renewal Fund and will focus on supporting skills development in the tourism sector.

The project will also look to address the recruitment and retention challenges facing the sector by investing in a crucial research exercise that will involve 16 leaders from within the Pembrokeshire visitor economy.

The project comes at a critical time for the sector as it looks to recover from the effects of the global pandemic.

It’s two main aims are to train and develop talented and motivated people of all ages, who are committed to a career in the visitor economy and to support business owners to create conditions that attract people to work for them and to build loyalty to their business.

The first part of the project will be a focus group event being held at Pembrokeshire College on the September 28.

The event will open with a keynote discussion led by Andy Middleton, founder of TYF and business psychologist, Susie Lawrence, on changes in the 21st century workplace.

The aim is to help businesses to understand how the shifts in Gen Z and Millennial employees' values and mindset can help businesses recruit and retain staff.

Following the discussions, leaders from some of Pembrokeshire’s most well-known tourist destinations will come together to debate three key topics affecting the sector facilitated by Professor Andrew Campbell (UWTSD), Jane Lewis (The Regional Skills Learning Plan), Emma Thornton (Visit Pembrokeshire) and Wendy Weber (Pembrokeshire College).

Subject to funding approval, recommendations from the focus groups will be used to inform and shape the project’s skills agenda with leaders being invited to participate in future workshops designed to address the recommendations that will then form an industry framework for recruitment and retention.