16 February 2012
Over 200 jobs available to locally qualified job-seekers have been identified in the hospitality industry for the coming season.
The States of Jersey Back to Work team has been working closely over the last month with a number of hospitality employers to provide as many of their seasonal jobs as possible to unemployed Islanders. The team is still hoping to engage with other hospitality employers who are filling vacancies in the near future. The opportunities available so far cover a wide spectrum of hospitality work, including housekeeping, reception work, bar work and waiting.
Economic Development Minister, Senator Alan Maclean, said “What we have been keen to do is work with the industry and ask them to help us find practical ways in which the employers could, where possible, source their workers from the local market rather than seeking applications from outside the Island. The meetings and feedback that we have had has been positive and we are extremely grateful to the industry for their time and willingness to work with us.”
HR Director of Seymour Hotels of Jersey Sue Armes said that having a direct contact with the States of Jersey had been very useful in trying to identify potential candidates for the roles the group was seeking to fill, and she was positive about the working relationship that had been established.
“We are, and always have been, keen to employ locally qualified people but they do have to have the right attitude for working in the hospitality industry. There are people out there who have that and hopefully this partnership with Back to Work will help us reach them and make good recruitment decisions as a result.” she said.
Back to Work has identified those job-seekers who already have the skills needed for the variety of roles available at the participating hotels and will now work with others to provide them with the confidence, attitude and skills to make the most of the opportunities coming up over the coming months.
“To achieve this, Back to Work has put in place multi-tiered training, the first of which will offer insight sessions giving focused assistance at the right level for the individuals and the roles on offer. The team have also engaged with the Jersey Hospitality Association with the aim of providing industry insight sessions,” said Senator Maclean.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Jersey Hospitality Association, Gerald Fletcher said “Jersey’s hospitality industry is always pleased to support and to welcome new people, who are motivated and committed and have the right aptitude to succeed and progress in the broad range of jobs offered by this very dynamic and rewarding sector of Jersey’s economy.”
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