Hoteliers of all sizes, independent and those part of major groups, are providing their support to an initiative by the Federal Government to try and fill thousands of job vacancies ahead of the busy Christmas peak.
The National Tourism and Hospitality Virtual Jobs Fair initiative is being conducted by the Australian Government’s Department of Education, Skills and Employment and is dedicated to helping the sector find skilled and willing workers for more than 300,000 vacancies across Australia.
Registration for the Virtual Jobs Fair is free, with four-hour sessions taking place on both 24 and 25 November. The first day will feature a variety of workshops designed to help job seekers prepare for potential virtual interviews and early access to view available vacancies. The second session will offer direct opportunities for candidates to put these skills to use and get in front of employers, discuss current opportunities and suitability for a career in the sector.
Tourism Accommodation Australia CEO, Michael Johnson, said the Jobs Fair was a major initiative, with vacancies across the board at both city and regional hotels.
“The event will target people displaced by COVID-19, job seekers, school leavers and anyone who might want to consider a career in tourism and hospitality,” Johnson said.
“It is free for anyone to jump online and all our big hotels will have virtual booths where you can talk to staff about the opportunities in our great industry.
“Job seekers can ask questions and apply for jobs and employers will be able to use a chat function to engage jobseekers and interview them on the day.”
Johnson said almost every major hotel in the country jumped at the opportunity when presented, with the Association welcoming any opportunity to aid the sector’s recovery.
“Finding hotel staff was hard before COVID, now it is near impossible,” he said.