12 August 2009

ACT employers want something for nothing

| johnboy
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The Canberra Times brings word that even with rising unemployment the ACT’s employers aren’t happy.

It seems the idea that they might have to provide training for the skills they desire is all just too hard.

    In hospitality, owner of Canberra restaurant Ottoman, Gulbahar Kaya, has struggled to recruit apprentice chefs for three months. Floor staff could also not be found. ”We’re not experiencing anyone begging for a job here,” Ms Kaya said.

    ”We advertise but we don’t get the kind of people we’re looking for. They haven’t got any relevant training. And very few apply in the first place.”

Maybe the pay and conditions just isn’t very attractive to the people who’ve got the training? Just a thought.

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j from the block3:26 pm 13 Aug 09

Train your staff, treat them well, pay them accordingly. If the place is good to work for, people will stay, also, they will be enjoying their work and this will be passed on to the customers, who will enjoy their visit, and tell others.

And it’s not that floor staff can not be found, and monkey can be taught to carry plates, but good floor staff, thats another thing.

If you have applicants who have enthusiasm and some skills without all the relevant training than it would be worth putting some time and effort into them.

What you are doing isn’t working ? Try something different to get a different result.

Quote – ”We advertise but we don’t get the kind of people we’re looking for. They haven’t got any relevant training. And very few apply in the first place.”

TRAIN THEM THEN!!

Offer Training and then you will have more then a few apply.

What a stupid story.

The Student to Industry Program is hosting an industry breakfast for school career advisers on the 16th of September. It is called ‘Services’, but it covers hospitality and tourism. Employers who want to connect with career advisers and spruik the opportunities they offer should go along to that.

The pay and conditions for apprentice chefs are notoriously bad.

The original ACT Labor government of yesteryear introduced course fees at ACT TAFE (now CIT) institutions.

Apprentices only had to pay Guild fees before this.

The current skills shortage problem commenced because of this.

Potential students (apprentices) could not afford course fees on their own.

Employers could not afford to pay a trainee’s course fees AND pay them wages for days off attending courses AND public liability insurance, workers compensation, payroll tax, annual leave and superannuation on top of fees.

An added disincentive for employers is that they have no guarantee that the trainee that they nurtured would stay with them and the employer would loose their investment and they would have to start all over again. Also there is poaching of of another employers investment. You just have to read the local job ads that ask for second or third year apprentices. This says” Jump ship so I can gain a benefit from someone elses money and still pay you less for an adequate job”.

Up The Duffy9:36 pm 12 Aug 09

It Starts with customers being wanting to pay money for the food to begin with, then restaurant owners passing that on to the staff they employees. Then maybe I would of stayed working as a Chef, and not retraining and working in another different career.

Only my family and friends benefit from my skills and experience now.

Cheffing is a hard job, and many employers are nasty (according to now ex-chef friends). Suck it up and be nicer to the apprentices, and then see if anyone is willing to work.

Inappropriate7:09 pm 12 Aug 09

So they get people willing to work, albeit no training…hmmm

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