The Isle of Wight’s hospitality sector is facing a ‘year like no other’ as pubs, restaurants, and hotels all struggle to recruit staff ahead of the busy summer season.
Nationally, the industry is said to be facing a catastrophic recruitment situation following the pandemic which saw many staff furloughed or laid off, with businesses struggling to find staff to fill gaps in their front of house and kitchen teams.
Industry trade body UKHospitality has estimated that across the United Kingdom, there is a shortfall of around 188,000 workers, with 1 in 10 staff having left the sector over the past year.
On the Island, the situation is also being felt with local recruitment site Isle of Wight Jobs currently listing over 110 vacancies for waiting and kitchen staff.
One venue based in Shalfleet – The New Inn – has taken to Facebook to announce its temporary closure, blaming a shortage of skilled chefs. The pub, which only recently reopened following the easing of lockdown restrictions, said that it has found it ‘incredibly hard to entice people back to work after furlough’.
Other establishments have also been seen to be urgently appealing for staff to fill their vacancies so that summer trade can go ahead, with several cafes and eateries claiming that they either cannot secure the staff or that they have been let down by those offered positions.
Isle of Wight Jobs Managing Director, Reuben Loake, has told Island Echo that the situation faced by those on the Island is partly due to nearly all venues needing to recruit at the same time as the National rules change.
Reuben said:
“Currently the Island is following the national trend regarding a shortage of skilled staff in the hospitality industry with some venues having to restrict bookings for the busy season ahead. We have over 100 vacancies across the sector advertised on Isleofwightjobs.com with Chef’s and Kitchen Staff being in high demand.
“This year has been like no other in terms of recruitment as we usually see venues starting to hire in January and up to April depending on when they open. However this year nearly all of our customers have had to recruit around the same time due to restrictions being partially lifted in May causing a lack of supply over demand in an industry that has had a difficult year.
“We are doing all we can to promote our vacancies both on and off the Island as well as speaking to our customers on a consultative basis offering them advice on a variety of ideas that have worked elsewhere such as job referral schemes and staff retention strategies.”
You can see the latest vacancies in the hospitality sector on the Isle of Wight Jobs website.
There wouldn’t be a shortage if staff were furloughed, instead of just sacked. Applies to all work places, not just hospitality.
shut down the furlough scheme today and cut all benefits – then have all hospitality venues send in vacancies to job centre – all the new claimants will take any job to ensure they are not stuck on Job seekers allowance.
that will solve a lot of the issue – cut furlough scheme and cut the regular spongers freebie cash lifeline.
The furloughs should be going back in anyway…that’s what furlough was.if the jobs there gov.many are but looks like many took free money sat at home too now tok not go back.
What a waste of tax money
Pay them a decent wage and they’ll come back
If those claiming child tax and working tax credits worked FULL time instead of 20hrs, then we would not be short staffed.
As it is, they are better off working 20hrs, then claiming subsidised rent and council tax, free dentistry, precripsions, help with heating, thermal insulation, free school meals, and every other hand out going.
This needs to stop and then they would have to work more hours as now it is ‘unprofitable’ to do so.
Wise up HMG
Years ago if you were having another baby you would have to work MORE hours, now they do less.
On the continent those who work in the hospitality industry are valued, and respected, as skilled workers. Until we, in Britain, start acknowledging our waiters and kitchen staff in the same way man of those concerned will not return to jobs which are seen by society as just a ‘fill in position’. Chefs don’t fare much better. How many of the same hotels and restaurants advertise for chefs every single season? Something is up if a good cook does not want to stay in a place where he or she is treated well and paid fairly…. And don’t get me started on the way the public speaks to these ‘mere menial workers’!
If they replied to people who have applied for the vacancies, then things might improve.
Reluctant to come of Furlough??? Just get their boss to stop paying it. It’s not the employees option!!! Just lazy by the sound of it
Staffing numbers are an issue here on the island as well as the mainland. My thoughts are, get people off benefits and into work. Make them work for their money instead of just sitting at home in their b*ms waiting for the ‘free’ money to fall into their bank accounts! Especially the LONG TIME out of work spongers!!!! Why should the British tax payer keep these people. They need to start contributing and paying taxes in rather than always taking out.