A new joint initiative between the Ministry of Social Development and the Restaurant Association has been launched to help fill the critical skills shortage in the hospitality industry. The Hospo Ready initiative will work to place job seekers into hospitality roles and work with employers to support and mentor those people during their employment.
Hospo Ready provides tailored job-seeking assistance and support for people wanting to work in hospitality. The service is entirely free and designed to connect job seekers with employers easily.
It also supports employers to take on recruits who may need more experience.
Hospo Ready carefully matches job seekers and employers to ensure a successful and long-term employment outcome by providing ongoing support to employers and job seekers after employment. This could be additional training, if required, or regular mentoring support.
Hospo Ready promotes professionalism in the workplace and ensures all employers provide supportive work environments to their employees.
The scheme will place up to 130 recruits into roles in the industry over the next seven weeks.
Restaurant Association CEO Marisa Bidois said that new ways must be found to attract and train new recruits to sustain the industry for the future.
“This is a critical time for our industry. Hospitality continues to grow, yet we continue to struggle to find the necessary workers to fill the demand,” said Bidois.
Hospo Ready follows on the heels of the successful HospoStart programme, a joint initiative between the Ministry of Social Development and the Restaurant Association, which trains job seekers for a new career in hospitality. The programme has trained and supported approximately 1000 workers in the industry since it launched in 2015 and continues to link employers and employees in the industry successfully.
