Hospitality industry bucking WA skills shortage trend
Western Australia might be heading for a massive skills shortage.
According to figures from the Department of Training and Workforce Development, the total number of apprentices and trainees fell from 39,629 at March 31 last year to 35,631 12 months later.
That’s down by a sizeable 4000 people.
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA blames the drop on several factors including high training costs, weaker economic conditions and the transitioning resources economy.
More to the point, business says the state could be heading for a skills shortage if the trend continues.
“Businesses tell us that if training numbers continue to decline, we will see skill shortages in three to five years,” a chamber spokeswoman told the West Australian.
“This could lead to a reliance on skilled migration, as we saw during the mining construction boom, instead of local job creation, as the Government pledged during the election.”
“To achieve a skilled local workforce, the Government can’t (afford to) put their foot on the pipeline of apprenticeship and traineeship support while also reducing the skilled migration list — this shuts down every option available to business.”
The key areas of focus she nominated were in agribusiness, construction, energy, defence, manufacturing, international education, resources and tourism.
What’s interesting however is that the state’s hospitality industry seems to be bucking the skills shortage trend.
Hospitality and tourism, along with the arts, recreation and the mining industry are the sectors that are increasing their intake of trainees and apprentices.
Stuart Hawkins, 20, an apprentice chef at Perth’s C Restaurant told the West Australian many had tried talking him out of doing it because of the stress and anti-social hours but he says the good outweighs the bad and the earn-as-you-learn model of training attracts young people.
Still, the industry has a problem with attrition.
Hospitality Group Training general manager Iain McDougall told the West Australian that half of all chief apprentices drop out within six months.
What’s needed, he said, was for State and Federal governments to provide support to employers to help keep them on.
by Leon Gettler, September 19th 2017
