The event staffing sector inadvertently excludes workers due to a reliance on word-of-mouth recruitment and the costs associated with training new staff. This leaves many prospective workers excluded, especially for those who do not have English as a first language or have a learning disability. Technical terms, in particular, are a challenge. Major incidents at event venues highlight the need for better crowd management skills, yet some employers are hesitant to hire new workers due to high costs of training, and verification checks such as Right to Work and DBS, which are often repeated for the same employee. At the same time, the UK events market continues to struggle with staffing shortages. According to the National Outdoor Events Association in 2022, 96% of event organisers suffered from staff shortages, many of whom reported that finding trained staff was the primary issue.
With support from Football Safety Officers Association and the UK Crowd Management Association, Aposto is addressing these challenges by developing a platform to remove unnecessary duplication of checks and training. Their project with Ufi will expand on their existing platform and create a portal with a ‘digital passport’ system where event staff can store their details and access multiple job opportunities, streamlining the recruitment process. Learning modules, created in collaboration with the UKCMA, will help workers gain relevant skills quickly and efficiently. For example, a learner struggling with technical English will be able to access simple bite-size training modules. The platform will use artificial intelligence to match staff with jobs in real time, identify skills gaps, and automatically update CVs with completed training.
This shift from one-to-one employer relationships to a one-to-many model could bring systemic change to the sector, reducing recruitment and training costs, and making it easier for workers to find jobs and develop careers in the sector.