Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) has released Better Together – The Jobs and Skills Report 2024. The report found that the ‘retention gap’ is driving the food and hospitality sector’s staff shortages.
The gap refers to there being enough people with the skills, qualifications and experience to fill vacancies, yet these people may not remain in the role long due to working conditions.
Employers are consequently having to recruit and train staff more regularly than in other industries. Apart from hospitality, nurse related roles (excluding registered nurses) are also experiencing the issue.
The Better Together – The Jobs and Skills Report is compiled by the government’s Jobs and Skills Australia. JSA provides independent advice on current, emerging and future workforce, skills and training needs. The report aims to reveal labour market insights, and improve workforce participation, productivity, wages and equity.
The report also states that hospitality is projected to be among the professions that will experience the highest employment growth over the next five to ten years. The number of workers in community and personal services – including hospitality staff and health workers – is projected to grow by 17.7 percent to 2034.
It estimates that over 90 per cent of employment growth over the next 10 years will be in jobs that need post-secondary education, yet only half of that is in university-qualified roles.
“What’s clear is that we need to stop thinking about post-school study in terms of only university,” said Professor Barney Glover, JSA Commissioner and a former Chancellor of Western Sydney University.
“Half of what people will need to know for the jobs of the future is going to be taught in vocational education and training.”
“Anyone looking at a new or changed career needs to understand that we have to think outside of the university box to make sure we have the skills we need for strong employment in the future.”
It showed that across many industries, annual median income was higher for those who have completed an apprenticeship versus no apprenticeship. The largest difference was seen in the field of Food, Hospitality, and Personal Services, where the median income for those who had completed an apprenticeship was $50k, against $44k for those who hadn’t.
The next Jobs and Skill Australia road show will be in Sydney on Thursday, 21 November 2024. Details are available at jobsandskills.gov.au.
The full Jobs and Skills Report is available here.
Laura Box
