Gateway, fast lane, or early exit? : tourism and hospitality as a first employer of Norwegian youth

Hospitality and tourism employment are gateways into working life for young people, but international evidence is mounting that the tourism youth employment experience is increasingly fast, furious, and short. Formal apprenticeship systems are one possibility for the tourism industry to attract and train a stable and competent workforce, but there are signs that this model may be aging. In response to this perspective, this chapter interrogates a Norwegian dataset pertaining to apprenticeship entrants’ first encounters, expectations, and experiences in the industry. We find, by examining the newcomer socialisation literature, that both apprentices’ experiences, and their expectations, are leading to undesirable outcomes. We conclude that this is discordant with the industry’s developmental duty of care responsibilities and the symbiotic relationship it has enjoyed with young workers.