Tasmanian Hospitality Review - February / March 2023

EDITORIAL

The Tasmanian Government’s Regional Jobs Hub Network has been busy over the summer finding creative solutions to workforce shortages by bringing together local job seekers and businesses. Hannah Zoudar, the manager at Beachfront in Bicheno, is one operator who has benefited from the services and contacts that her local Jobs Hub (Break O’Day Employment Connect) was able to offer. She had exhausted all avenues for finding local housekeepers, so approached Ward Totham, BODEC’S Employment Connector to discuss the situation. Through his connections with Workforce Australia provider, Asuria, Ward was able to identify a pool of keen job seekers interested in Hannah’s housekeeper roles. “We had great success by broadening our staff search to the nearby town of St Marys but the job seekers had no transport to get to Bicheno for an interview,

however we didn’t let that stop us,” Ward said.

“We used the Area Connect service to get people to the interview and the result is all four were employed which is fantastic.” Area Connect is a Tasmanian Government-funded transport solution delivered by Community Transport Services Tasmania. It gets people to work and training where no other service is available. Area Connect now collects the four employees from St Marys and transports them to the Beachfront in Bicheno where they work their shift and then return to St Marys in the afternoon. “Finding a solution to assist the Beachfront has been immensely rewarding, but the real impact has been for the new employees. Their new jobs have been life changing,” Ward said.

FROM LEFT: WARD TOTHAM, BODEC EMPLOYMENT FACILITATOR WITH LEE-ANN KENNEDY (BEACHFRONT HOUSEKEEPING SUPERVISOR), STEVE WOLFE, AREA CONNECT LOCAL COORDINATOR AND NEW EMPLOYEES TAYLOR KING AND COURTNEY MIDDENDORP.

26 Tasmanian Hospitality Review Feb/Mar Edition

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