Unskilled guest workers in demand

The shortage of so-called unskilled workers in Western Australia has reached crisis point in the hospitality and trucking industries, yet employers are unable to recruit overseas labour easily due to a national migration program favouring skilled workers.

Industry body Restaurant and Catering Australia is lobbying the federal government to have trade waiters, at certificate three level, and restaurant supervisors classified as skilled workers and included on the migration occupations in demand list (MODL).

Under the government’s general skilled migration program, visa applicants receive extra points and priority processing if their occupation is listed on the MODL.

Restaurant and Catering Australia chief executive John Hart said the inclusion of trade waiters and restaurant supervisors on the list would recognise these occupations as both skilled positions and in shortage.

Mr Hart told WA Business News a reclassification would greatly assist the recruitment of migrant workers to the sector, citing the 2000 cooks and chefs imported to Australia in the past five years under the MODL system.

“We surveyed our membership very recently, and on a scale of one to five, the shortage of cooks came up about 3.8 and wait staff about 3.2,” he said.

“I would suggest that given those relativities, you’d expect it would be a sizeable number coming in.”

WA Hospitality and Tourism Industry Training Council executive officer Anthea Kilminster said she believed the number of trainees in the hospitality industry was lower in 2006 than at any other time during her tenure.

“I think there needs to be a policy change at a federal level about skilled and non-skilled occupations,” she said.

Ms Kilminster said it was difficult to assess the severity of labour shortages because many restaurant owners had ceased to advertise for staff due to a lack of applicants, while others were closing off sections of their restaurants or reducing their hours of business.

Transport Forum WA chief executive Debra Goostrey said she believed the classification of truck drivers as unskilled workers was currently being reviewed at a national level.

“There should be a review of the actual skill levels that are required in some positions in the industry that may not have…a qualification attached,” she said..

Ms Goostrey said the shortage of truck drivers in WA was severe, exacerbated by an ageing workforce.

“The 457 visas are only a stopgap measure. In the long term, we need to develop a system to recruit people into the road transport industry,” she said. “It’s now a matter of actually putting programs in place to start fast-tracking drivers.”