In Melbourne’s northern suburb of Epping, the corporate and family events at the Heritage Reception Centre had just started to boom again before the state government imposed yet another lockdown.
The Indian-origin owner of the party venue, Narinder Kumar Garg, says he struggled to stay in business after Melbourne’s extended lockdowns.
“It was tough to survive previously, but the last three or four months have been relatively better. We hope for a good recovery, but the staff shortage is hindering our progress.
“With a growing demand, we want to cater more events, but it's hard to find enough experienced chefs, kitchen hands and staff,” he adds.
41-year-old Emma Nguyen, who owns a Vietnamese restaurant in Sydney's Crows Nest is also sailing in the same boat.
Waiter at I Love Pho Vietnamese restaurant in Sydney's Crows Nest. Source: SBS
With more Australians eating out again, Emma is also desperate to hire a qualified chef, a restaurant manager and other workers.
"I just have to say, no. Because I don't have the workforce or the capacity to fulfill that. I am looking for front of house and kitchen staff. It's three months, and I still haven't found the right one,” she says.
Restaurant and Catering Australia CEO Wes Lambert says the shortage of skilled workers is impacting the entire Australian hospitality sector.
It's due in part to an exodus of international students and foreign workers after COVID-19 hit.
"Our members tell us there are up to 100,000 unfilled positions in the hospitality industry across the country, the worst it has ever been in the history of Australia. While there are 600,000 fewer people in Australia as though it was pre COVID, about 227,000 of those individuals actually had the right to work,” says Mr Lambert.
Mr Garg has welcomed the federal government’s recent decision to lift a 40-hour fortnightly employment cap on international students, but he says Australia must open doors for vaccinated skilled workers.
“We are aware that government has some strict Covid procedures in place, but we believe that provided those conditions are met, the vaccinated skilled workers must be allowed to come to Australia. If it happens, that would be a great relief for the hospitality sector, which is currently struggling to meet skill shortages,” he says.
Meanwhile, the government has included hospitality among critical sectors listed for a pandemic event visa, but the industry experts say more is needed.
"We've made a submission to the immigration minister, Alex Hawke, for a COVID recovery workforce visa, which would then allow vaccinated, highly skilled workers to return to Australia, and long before we open the borders to tourists,” says Mr Lambert.
Click on this audio button to listen to the full audio report in Punjabi:
That story by Jennifer Scherer for SBS News, produced by Preetinder Singh Grewal for SBS Punjabi.
SBS is committed to informing Australia’s diverse communities about the latest COVID-19 developments. News and information are available in 63 languages at sbs.com.au/coronavirus.
