Tue 29th Aug 2017 - Late-night leisure industry playing essential role in equipping young people with work skills Late-night leisure industry playing essential role in equipping young people with work skills: The late-night leisure industry is having a positive impact on employment, including the role it plays in equipping young people with essential skills, according to the latest Deltic Night Index. The research found almost three-quarters (72.8%) of respondents had acquired more skills in the sector than they expected, while 60.7% would recommend working in the industry. More than four-fifths (81%) said they developed communication skills through working in the industry, while 74.8% felt they learnt how to work under pressure and 69.2% learnt how to deal with difficult situations. In addition, almost two-thirds (65.5%) learnt how to multi-task, 63.7% learnt how to work with different people, and 62.7% learnt how to work effectively in a team. Almost one-third (29.8%) felt they developed management skills, more than one-quarter (25.2%) developed negotiating skills, and one-fifth (20.6%) developed operational skills. More than one-third (36.5%) believed there were fewer barriers to promotion than in other industries, while a similar number (34.1%) found there were more career development and training opportunities than they expected. The Deltic Night Index, a quarterly report published by The Deltic Group, the UK’s largest operator of premium late-night bars and clubs with 58 venues, looks at changing consumer behaviours in the UK’s late-night leisure sector, which encompasses clubbing, drinking and eating out, cinema and live music. The report found more Brits (43.2%) are going on a night out at least once a week, compared with 37.2% in the previous quarter, while spend on drinks rose almost 4% to £17.99. However, average spend on late-night leisure fell 3.5% to £53.63, compared with £55.56 in the previous quarter. The pub was the most popular night out with more than a quarter (25.8%) choosing to spend the most money in those venues, while clubs saw an increase of almost 3%, and bars rose more than 4% to 15.9%. Peter Marks, chief executive of The Deltic Group, said: “This latest data demonstrates the role (the industry) plays in equipping people with vital skills for working life and is further evidence of the far-reaching positive impact of the evening and late-night economy. Although overall spend has declined, it is encouraging to see people opting to spend more on drinks in venues rather than on pre-drinks."