TOURISM TASMANIA
CEO Tourism Tasmania John Fitzgerald
Growing a tourism and hospitality workforce for summer New initiatives focussed on growing our summer workforce and addressing critical skills gaps After a hard couple of years due to Covid-19, tourism and hospitality are back in business with the entire sector getting ready to welcome an influx of visitors as our borders open to the entire country from December 15. Australians want to travel and demand to visit Tasmania is strong. Tasmanians want to connect with each other in our hospitality venues, which means we need workers for summer. Our sector offers fun, flexibility and the chance to connect with people who are enjoying our island. We want to attract our fellowTasmanians into our industry and recent research has helped us understand what we can do to help. Through the T21 partnership, the Tasmanian Government, Tourism Industry Council of Tasmania (TICT) and the Tasmanian Hospitality Association (THA) are delivering a range of initiatives aimed at growing our workforce for summer. The Summer Workforce Project has received grant funding from the Australian Government under the Recovery for Regional Tourism program, an initiative of the $1 billion Covid-19 Relief and Recovery Fund. A new digital, print and radio campaign encouraging under 25s and early retirees to work in tourism and hospitality is now underway in a bid to boost the industry workforce for the busy summer visitor season.
It is targeted at younger Tasmanians who are finishing school, looking for work during their summer holidays or seeking to take a gap year as well as retirees looking for part-time work and whose valuable experience and skills can support our tourism and hospitality businesses. The campaign will encourage jobseekers to search for available positions via the new one- stop shop portal for all industry jobs and training. The Tasmanian Tourism and Hospitality online jobs portal is a free, fast, and easy way for Tasmanian tourism and hospitality businesses to connect with potential new employees. It also makes it easier for jobseekers to browse jobs and seek training and employment in Tasmania’s tourism and hospitalities industries. I encourage anyone thinking about a career in the sector to visit www.tastourismandhospitalityjobs. com.au to access the range of opportunities available. A third initiative will include a series of short courses to be delivered state-wide by industry training organisation VXT, that are designed to upskill employees quickly and for employers to support their entry into the industry. I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the resilience shown by the tourism and hospitality sector this year. As we get ready for what is shaping up to be a busy summer season ahead as borders open, I hope you can all can take a moment to spend some time with family and friends and continue to look out for one another as we head into 2022. If you would like to keep up to date with all the latest news from Tourism Tasmania, make sure you subscribe to the Tourism Talk newsletter.
Hospitality Review: December 2021 46
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