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Skilled Occupation
List (SOL) 2015-16
Tracking Code:
5BDN9W
Name
Individual *
John Hart
Organisation
Restaurant & Catering Australia
What are the industry/industries and ANZSCO occupation/s that you or your
organisation represents for the purposes of this submission?
Industry
Accommodation and Food Services
Occupation
The three dropdowns below accord with the ABS ANZSCO classification of occupations.
Selections are required at the ‘Occupation Group’ 2-digit level and at the ‘Occupation Unit (4-digit)’
level, but can also be made down to the Occupation (6-digit) level depending on the occupation/s
to which your submission relates.
Additional occupations can be selected by way of the ‘Add item’ button.
For each occupation selected, please indicate whether your advice is to Include, Exclude, or is
Neutral (other) with respect to the 2015-16 SOL. The rest of the form can be used to provide
evidence/reasons to support your recommendations. Attachments can also be added after clicking
the 'Submit' button.
Item 1
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Occupation Group *
Hospitality, Retail and Service Managers
Occupation Unit *
Cafe and Restaurant Managers
Occupation
Cafe or Restaurant Manager 141111
Summary advice for 2015-16 SOL *
Include
Exclude
Neutral
Exclude
Neutral
Item 2
Occupation Group *
Hospitality Workers
Occupation Unit *
All
Occupation
Summary advice for 2015-16 SOL *
Include
Item 3
Occupation Group *
Food Trades Workers
Occupation Unit *
Cooks
Occupation
Cook 351411
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Summary advice for 2015-16 SOL *
Include
Exclude
Neutral
Exclude
Neutral
Item 4
Occupation Group *
Food Trades Workers
Occupation Unit *
Chefs
Occupation
Chef 351311
Summary advice for 2015-16 SOL *
Include
Are there any occupations that you represent where there is evidence of imbalances
in the demand for and supply of skills in the medium-to-long term? *
The Australian Government has set ambitious growth targets for the tourism industry under
Tourism 2020. In order to achieve these targets, it is estimated that the total tourism labour force
will need to increase to 638,000 by 2020. In the most recent State of the Industry Report 2014 it
is estimated that tourism employment has increased by approximately 30,000 jobs to 543,600
jobs in 2012–13, representing around 20 per cent of the required 152,000 new tourism jobs by
2020.
The Service Skills Australia Tourism, Travel and Hospitality Environmental Scan 2014 highlights
that strong domestic demand and a growing tourism base is expected to lead to phenomenal
growth in employment in the café, restaurant and takeaway food sector over the next five years.
The Department of Employment forecasts that employment growth in this sector alone will
exceed any other in the Australian economy, with expected growth of 43,700 workers needed by
2018, or an increase of 8.5%.
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The tourism and hospitality industry remains highly concerned over the shortage of skilled labour
across the sector. R&CA's 2014 Industry Benchmarking Report found that 60.8% of businesses
have vacancies, with 22.3% of businesses reporting extreme difficulty in finding staff. Chefs,
Cooks and Managers ranked the most difficult positions to fill.
This is supported by the Deloitte Access Economics Australian Tourism Labour Force Report
2011 which indicates the sector is currently experiencing a vacancy rate of approximately 9%,
equivalent to 35,800 jobs. This vacancy rate is considerably higher than the national average of
2%. The number of vacant jobs in the sector is expected to increase to 56,000 by 2015 if no
market intervention occurs. Of the 56,000 shortfall in jobs, it is estimated that 46% of these jobs
will be skilled positions (25,760 workers), while the remaining 54% of job shortages (30,748
workers) will be for unskilled labour.
The Deloitte Access Economics report highlights that Kitchenhands, Waiters, Café and
Restaurant Managers and Chefs will be the most in-demand occupations within the sector by
2015. By 2015, demand for kitchenhands, waiters and café and restaurant managers is expected
to account for approximately one-third of all demand for workers within the tourism sector. In
terms of skilled workers, Chefs, Café and Restaurant Managers and Waiters are expected to
experience the greatest shortfalls, representing 36% or 5,400 workers.
Is there evidence of imbalances in the demand for and supply of skills in the
medium-to-long term in non-metropolitan areas?
If so, can you indicate in what part of Australia and the number in the occupation in over or undersupply.
When determining the imbalances that occur in demand between metropolitan and regional
areas, it is important to note that this is relative to the systemic labour shortages the industry has
suffered over time. While regional destinations report greater difficulty in attracting staff, this is
relative to chronic labour shortages the sector has experienced overall, with the difficulty in
finding staff escalating from absolutely critical to nearly impossible In most regions.
That being said, it is expected that shortages of skilled and non-skilled labour will continue to
affect a majority of Australia's top tourism regions into the future, including non-metropolitan
areas. Hospitality employers in regional locations report greater difficulty recruiting and retaining
staff due to the seasonal nature of tourism, the remoteness of the destinations, as well as
competition that exists with other sectors of the economy including mining. The state and
regional summary prepared as part of the Deloitte Access Economics Australian Tourism Labour
Force Report 2011 indicates:
vacancy rates are notably higher in the NT and ACT, and notably lower in TAS;
turnover rates are far higher in the NT and WA than other states;
recruitment difficulties are more prevalent in the NT and WA, though less prevalent in SA;
skills deficiencies are most prevalent in NT and WA; and
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retention difficulties are less prevalent in TAS, NSW and particularly SA.
Despite these findings, Sydney and Melbourne are expected to experience the greatest demand
for labour by 2015, equating to approximately 50% of all accumulated demand for tourism labour
or 30,000 workers.
However, based on the expected growth in the demand for labour and relative skilled labour
shortages, Peterman (NT); Kakadu (NT); and Sydney (NSW) are expected to experience the
proportionally greatest shortfall in skilled worked to 2015. This supports current data that
suggests the Northern Territory; Rest of WA; and North and Inland NSW tourism regions are
experiencing the most acute shortages in relative terms, whereas Melbourne and Port Philip
Bay; NSW South Coast, Sydney and Surrounds; and Northern and Inland NSW are experiencing
the largest number of total vacancies.
Are there any occupations which require formal licensing or registration
arrangements in order to practice/perform in this occupation?
For example:
• Midwives are required to register with the nurses board in their state or territory
• Panelbeaters are required to be registered or certified with the state Motor Vehicle Repair
Industry Authority
The occupations of Café or Restaurant Manager, Chef, or Cook do not require workers to be
registered or hold formal licenses. However, RCA believes food safety handling training should
be mandatory in all states for workers involved in the preparation and handling of food in line
with Standards 3.2.1 and 3.2.2 of the Food Standards Code, similar to the Responsible Service
of Alcohol (RSA).
Depending on the position and level of entry, most employers will seek evidence as to the
experience and level of formal qualification achieved by the worker. The Restaurant Industry
Award 2010 provides an indication of the skill/qualification level required for the most common
positions found on the ANZSCO list.
As for Café and Restaurant Managers, while a Certificate IV in Hospitality is desirable, these
positions generally require a Responsible Service of Alcohol Certificate and/or Food Safety
Supervisor Certificate. However, RCA believes it should be a mandatory requirement that all
Restaurant Managers should take part in a Certified Professional Restaurateurs program (CPR).
The certification program recognises the essential business management skills required to
operate a restaurant. It defines these skills using National Competency Standards drawn from
the National Hospitality Training Package.
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Is it expected that your employment sector will be impacted by any medium-to-long
term trends which will impact upon demand and/or supply (excluding costs
associated with training, labour hire, and international sponsorship)?
Please provide evidence (e.g. data source, policy document) which substantiates
these claims.
For example:
• New benchmarks for childcare centres mandate increased staff-to-child ratios and higher
qualification standards for childcare workers.
As mentioned, strong domestic demand and a growing tourism base is expected to lead to
phenomenal growth in employment in café, restaurant and takeaway food sector over the next
five years. As a result, employment growth in this sector is expected to exceed any other in the
Australian economy. This will have significant impacts on the size, composition, and level of
skills required for hospitality workers in the future. Some of the major macroeconomic trends
expected to affect the sector in the medium-to-long term are listed below:
CHANGING COMPOSITION OF INTERNATIONAL VISITATION TO AUSTRALIA
Domestic and international visitors accounted for approximately 30.9% of all demand for food
and beverage services in Australia. Therefore, growth or decline in domestic and international
visitation affects the demand for hospitality services, and in turn the demand for skilled and nonskilled labour.
While domestic visitation is expected to remain relatively flat, the Tourism Forecasting
Committee expects to see an average increase of 4% per annum in international visitation to
2016-17. This growth is largely expected to be fueled by economic growth in Asia.
Australia is already seeing significant increases in arrivals from eastern source markets, with
these markets accounting for 47% of total international visitor expenditure or $14.1 billion in
2013-14. China is now Australia's second largest source market for international arrivals with a
12.2% increase in visitor arrivals to 785,100 for the Year Ending August 2014. Arrivals from India
also increased by 16.2% over the same period. By 2021-22, inbound arrivals from Asia are
expected to account for 46% of all international arrivals to Australia.
Tourism Australia has identified 'good food and wine' as one of the core motivators of travel
particularly for Chinese visitors. This will have significant implications for Australia's tourism and
hospitality workforce, including the need for language skills, culturally appropriate service skills,
and business development. The industry are already reporting difficulty in sourcing Mandarinand Cantonese-speaking staff to address market demand, with expectations this difficulty will
continue into the future.
ALTERNATIVE SOURCES OF LABOUR
A considerable body of work exists examining alternative sources of labour to alleviate shortages
in the tourism and hospitality workforce. Alternative sources of labour include international
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workers encompassing skilled migrants, international students and working holiday makers and
non-traditional workers including mature-age workers, indigenous employees and workers with a
disability. The ability of these alternative sources of labour to alleviate labour shortages will
largely depend on immigration policy and access to appropriate training to facilitate their
participation in the sector.
The Deloitte Access Economics report indicated a large proportion of employers were
investigating non-traditional sources of labour, including skilled migration. However, current visa
regulations severely restrict the ability of these businesses to access international workers.
Virtually all tourism and hospitality-related roles were removed from the General Skilled
Migration Skilled Occupation List in 2010. The industry welcomed the addition of Chefs to the
Skilled Occupation List in July this year, but believe Cooks and Restaurant Managers should be
added as a matter of urgency.
In addition, international students are limited to working a maximum of twenty hours per week,
and working holiday makers may only work for an employer for six months with tourism not
included as one of the industries which allows workers to extend their visa into a second year by
working in regional Australia.
RCA believes immigration policy must be at the forefront of solutions to provide employers with
greater access to international workers in the short-to-medium term to ease labour and skills
pressures in Australia.
LACK OF SKILLED STAFF AFFECTING EMPLOYMENT OF UNSKILLED WORKERS
The inability to attract suitably skilled labour has led to increased difficulty in hiring and attracting
unskilled labour. As highlighted in the Deloitte Access Economics report, Kitchenhands, Waiters,
Café and Restaurant Managers and Chefs are the most in-demand occupations. However, the
inability to hire Chefs, Cooks, and Restaurant Managers in now having flow-on affects to semiskilled and unskilled labour such as Kitchenhands and Waiters. This is because many small
businesses will never grow to a size where an expanded HR structure is required. Instead, as
critical skilled positions remain vacant, so too do many supporting roles within the business.
WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR RETAINING STAFF
Tourism and hospitality sector has traditionally been characterised by a younger workforce, with
45.7% of workers aged 15-24, compared to 16.8% for all other Australian industries. However,
as a result of an ageing population, the proportion of younger people available to work in the
sector will also decline. The availability of staff at the junior or frontline level continues to be an
area of great concern among senior tourism executives. This inherently creates two issues: the
need to retain staff for longer within the sector through career path development, and ensuring
alternative forms of labour including mature-aged workers receive the appropriate levels of
training.
The Deloitte Access Economics report found 46% of businesses experience problems retaining
staff. Continual training and the promotion of talent are considered two key aspects in retaining
staff, and reducing the cost associated with high staff turnover. However, the Deloitte Access
Economics report found that only 20% of businesses pursue structured career paths as a
strategy to retain staff. A major contributor to the lack of career pathways is the large number of
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businesses that are small or micro-sized. Consequently, an industry strategy similar to RCA's
Apprentice Mentor Program is required to facilitate career progression within the sector and with
different employers within the industry.
Industry also report discrepancies between the required supply of skilled labour and that which is
being delivered through the training system. A Service Skills Australia survey in 2009 found that
some training programs are not providing individuals with the skills and knowledge that
employers require.
RCA believes that if vocational issues are not addressed within the sector, then the shortage of
skilled and non-skilled labour will only be further compounded in the future.
Please provide any other information you consider relevant evidence to support your
submission
For example, you may know of some independent studies about your occupation that supports
your advice to us.
Would you like to make any additional comments on the SOL?
RCA have ongoing concerns regarding the selection criteria used to determine occupations
featured on the Skilled Occupation List (SOL). RCA believe the criteria do not reflect the market
demand for skilled tourism and hospitality workers in Australia now or in the future.
In particular, the criteria around the length of time in occupation and the utility of the occupation
to the Australian economy does not take into the account the transient nature of the sector, nor
the expected importance of this sector to the national economy in the future. By nature the
industry experiences high turnover among the sector, yet has a lower attrition rate outside the
industry. Indeed, RCA's own Industry Benchmarking Report found 77.4% of respondents have
been in the hospitality industry for over 10 years.
RCA believe the SOL criteria need to reflect the demand being experienced for tourism and
hospitality workers, in particular Chefs, Cooks, Café and Restaurant Managers and Waiters. The
current SOL criteria excludes a vast majority of tourism and hospitality positions, despite
considerable evidence to suggest the sector is experiencing chronic shortages, and that these
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shortages will increase in the future.
Please provide the name, position and contact details of a person within your
organisation who is willing to be contacted if any further information or follow-up is
required.
Name *
Carlita Warren
Position *
Research & Policy Manager
Contact details *
carlitaw@restaurantcater.asn.au or (02) 9493 8004
All information, including name and address details, contained in submissions will be made
available to the public on the Department of Industry website unless you indicate that you would like
all or part of your submission to remain in confidence. Automatically generated confidentiality
statements in emails do not suffice for this purpose. Respondents who would like all or part of their
submission to remain in confidence should provide this information in an email to SOL@industry.
gov.au . Legal requirements, such as those imposed by the Freedom of Information Act 1982, may
affect the confidentiality of your submission.
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