Hospitality

Hospitality includes clubs, pubs, taverns, bars, cafes, restaurants and catering. The tourism (see separate brief) and hospitality industry is a major generator of employment and regional economic development. Recent industry data estimates that the tourism industry accounts for 4.5 percent of GDP (more than $25 billion) and was Australia’s largest export industry. The sector directly employs an estimated 513,000 people representing six per cent of total employment.

Characteristics and trends

‘Cafes, restaurants and catering’ includes businesses that provide meals for consumption, such as cafes and restaurants which are licensed, BYO or unlicensed as well as organisations that provide specialist catering and food service operations. The sector also includes clubs, pubs, taverns and bars. The clubs sector includes businesses that are mainly engaged in the provision of hospitality services to members, while the pubs, taverns and bars sector covers businesses that mainly sell alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises.

The industry estimates that there are 15,639 restaurants and 7,029 cafes in Australia. The industry employs 152,107 people as waiting staff alone. Additionally, there are more than 8,541 businesses in the clubs, pubs, taverns and bars industries employing 148,996 people.

Major trends in the industry include:

• major growth as part of the services sector which is the fastest growing sector of the economy;
• the increased provision of gambling services has contributed to growth and a change in the type of jobs and style of services offered;
• most employment (91%) is with small employers who employ less than 20 people;
• 48% of the workforce are either part time or casual and 25% of the full time workforce are proprietors or partners;
• females make up 55% of the workforce and 33% of them are full time;
• males make up 45% of the workforce and 58% of them are full time; and
• 70% of the workforce have no post-school qualifications.

Employment

There is significant scope to enter employment in this industry without formal qualifications and it is increasingly possible to build a long-term and lucrative career in hospitality management for motivated employees who are prepared to gain further qualifications.  The job outlook in this field is patchy and changeable however, and is affected by seasonal conditions and major events. The demand for kitchen hands, waiters and bar attendants has slowed over the past five years, while there are identified skill shortages for caterers, commercial cooks and chefs.

Qualifications, education and experience

The hospitality industry is large and diverse and different skill requirements apply to various sectors. Overall, the hospitality industries are customer-service driven and so people skills are essential in the industry. These skills include:

• good communication skills;
• a strong customer focus;
• smart presentation and grooming;
• organisational skills;
• ability to work in a team;
• ability to work quickly and safely – often under pressure;
• good technical skills and knowledge; and
• good hygiene practices particularly for food and drinks handling.  

For many jobs in hospitality, it is relatively easy to gain employment without formal qualifications if the applicant can demonstrate the right aptitudes and skills. Increasingly, however, particularly with larger employers, training and qualifications are necessary in order to progress beyond and entry-level role.

A useful entry point for entry-level candidates is to undertake Responsible Serving of Alcohol (RSA) training and/or Provision of Responsible Gaming Services (RGS) training.

What an employer might ask

Generic employer requirements for this industry include reliability, flexibility, ability to work as part of team and stamina. For positions where direct customer contact is required such as waiter or job attendant jobs, an emphasis will be placed on presentation, communication skills and manner with people. For many jobs, the ability to handle money and a good and quick memory will be very important. For those positions that are ‘back of house’ such as a kitchen hand or a fast food cook, the emphasis will be more on efficiency and the ability to work as part of a team.  An employer will ask for evidence of how an applicant meets these criteria and will make judgements based on how the applicant presents and responds to questions and their past experience in the industry.

Major employers

Most employers (91%) in this industry are small businesses with the owner or proprietor working closely with employees.  Employment is concentrated in the major capital cities and tourist destinations, although employment exists throughout Australia in all population centres, large and small.

Employment wages and conditions

Wages vary considerably across the industry according to the employer, the opportunities for earning tips, the type of hours that are worked and whether or not penalty rates are paid. Award payments are largely determined at a State government level and details of specific awards and agreements can be found at www.wagenet.gov.au. Commonwealth governments estimate average weekly earnings for full time employees across the sector as ranging from $450 - $650.

Most jobs in this industry involve working split shifts, in evenings, public holidays and weekends. Often work involves working with difficult customers and within a small business work environment.  Hospitality work suits many people particularly those who are undertaking study or are engaged with other interests.  At the same time, there are many potential problems for employees in the industry due to the large proportion of small business employment and the difficulties in enforcing minimum wages, awards and conditions. Issues include the failure to pay wages or penalty rates, cash-in-hand employment, workplace bullying and violence, unsafe working practices and conditions, discrimination, sexual harassment and the exploitation of vulnerable workers including young people and migrants.  The casual and part-time nature of the industry also means that employees are likely to be affected by unpredictable working hours and precarious employment arrangements.

Training

Most employment in this field does not require specific qualifications although training will give applicants a competitive edge in the job search process and provide a wider range of opportunities. Qualifications for work in the hospitality industries are structured within the Hospitality Training Package. Qualifications are set out from Certificates I – IV with specialisations available in:

• Operations;
• Supervision;
• Kitchen operations;
• Asian Cookery;
• Commercial Cookery;
• Patisserie; and
• Catering operations.

Diploma and Advanced Diplomas of Hospitality Management are also developed that can articulate into Bachelor level courses delivered through Universities.

The Salvation Army Employment Plus placements

The Salvation Army Employment Plus has placed many people into hospitality positions mainly as waiters, kitchen hands and bar attendants.

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