Hospitality sector grapples with severe skills shortage on top of cost of living spending slump

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Queensland hospitality businesses are preparing for their busiest time of year, and staffing challenges are making the task harder. The industry is calling on the federal government for more support to ensure its survival.

Transcript

00:00As the thermostat climbs, so do tourist numbers.

00:06To cope, this Gold Coast business is on the hunt for staff.

00:11To try and take advantage of a great time of year when people are around, when they

00:15want to spend money.

00:16Across Australia, finding skilled workers in the sector is a challenge.

00:21Beforehand, we might put out a job ad and we'd get 200 plus applicants and we might

00:25get 10 to 20 in for interviews.

00:27Now we'll put it out as vastly as we can and we might get two or three people reach

00:31out, we might get one turn up for an interview.

00:33Chefs, bakers and waiters are all on the latest skills priority list.

00:39But the industry's peak body says the federal government could be doing more to attract

00:44workers to the sector.

00:46They can start investing in skills and by that I mean subsidies to apprentices and trainees

00:54throughout the whole sector.

00:56This will bring and encourage people back into the sector.

01:01This beachside cafe has employed migrant workers to keep the doors open.

01:05They're from Chile, they're from Brazil, I've got a guy that's from the Czech Republic.

01:11The federal government's planned cap on international workers has the industry worried.

01:17By shortening or constricting the labour force even further just adds to the skills shortage

01:23that we have.

01:24The international student sector makes up about 50% of the workforce in the tourism

01:29and hospitality sector so they're bringing the people in that these businesses need to

01:35offer those amazing experiences.

01:37An industry on the rocks.

Category

Transcript

Recommended