State Government offers new incentives to fill Gold Coast tourism job vacancies

Gold Coast tourism and hospitality operators say they have a “jobs bonanza” on their hands but few takers for the positions they urgently need to fill. Here are the jobs nobody wants.

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GOLD Coast tourism and hospitality operators say they have a “jobs bonanza” on their hands but few takers for the urgently needed gigs they are struggling to fill.

The loss of overseas travellers on working holidays during the pandemic and local “complacency” due to JobKeeper wage subsidies, inflated JobSeeker payments and Super payouts have been blamed for battles to fill a raft of positions from baristas to service staff.

The State Government on Sunday launched its “Give it a Go Campaign”, a mass recruiting push so the tourism sector can fast-track its post-COVID rebuild now borders have reopened.

The move was universally welcomed by traders who say they are struggling to recruit staff in the wake of the shutdown despite high unemployment.

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Matt Keegan. Picture Glenn Hampson

Artesian Hospitality partner Matt Keegan said his group – hiring for its new Cali Beach Club, three nightclubs and White Rhino Bar + Eats – had 50 jobs going.

“It’s been extremely difficult. We are trying to fill positions from bar tenders to management. It’s a situation where your most loyal staff come back but a lot of staff have not returned – the casuals and permanent part-timers which is difficult to refill and the lifeblood of hospitality,” he said.

“Any measures that help to try to lure people from other states to travel are a good thing.”

Mr Keegan said he believe more assistance would be needed in coming months.

He put the shortages down to a combination of internationals no longer being in Australia who traditionally filled casual hospitality jobs as well as people happily existing on Jobseeker and super payments.

“I think it has made people complacent,” he said.

“It’s a slower than normal transition where businesses are all looking to hire but not as many people are looking to work.”

Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchliffe after announcing a summer holiday jobs bonanza in Queensland pictured at Burleigh Heads. Picture: Jason O'Brien.

Statewide, there has been a 30 per cent increase in vacancies in tourism compared to this time last year, Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said.

Under the Government’s scheme, those who took up a Queensland job in the industry this summer would also be eligible for a $300 discount for Greyhound bus travel, Mr Hinchliffe said.

The discount was available via a Working in Queensland WhimIt pass which normally costs $699 being knocked down to $399. It gives 90 days unlimited travel across the Greyhound Australia network.

It is available until January 31 for purchase.

The same goes for a Queensland Rail discount offer of 60 per cent off one-way fares for travel along the coast from Brisbane to Cairns during the same period for people who can show evidence of employment.

“This is a great opportunity for young people or even those that are travelling around the state enjoying it in their retirement, if they want a little bit of extra cash this summer and they want to have some great experiences,” Mr Hinchliffe said.

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Destination Gold Coast boss Paul Donovan. Picture: Tertius Pickard

Destination Gold Coast chairman Paul Donovan said it was critical to get workforce positions filled before JobKeeper ends in March.

“This is the peak period of the year for tourism so we need to get people in these jobs,” he said.

“The difficulty has come from some people staying on JobKeeper and not wanting to get work but we need to get them back out there again.”

Star Gold Coast, one of the city’s biggest employers, has a significant number of open positions and urged locals to sign up.

“At The Star Gold Coast we have more than 50 positions open in the hospitality area,” a Star spokesman said.

“We welcome applications and encourage people to ‘give it a go’ even if they don’t believe they have the required experience.

“The most important element in hospitality is the willingness to engage and create the special experiences that has guests wanting to return time and again.”

Gold Coast Central Chamber of Commerce president Martin Hall said Give it a Go would boost the economy at a critical time.

“Incentivising people to come here is a fantastic idea because we need them to stay,” he said.

Hospitality operators have warned for months they were getting few applicants.

Arthur De Snoo. Picture: Glenn Hampson.

Surfers Paradise Beach Cafe owner Arthur De Snoo said he had only been able to fill around 80 per cent of jobs heading into Christmas.

“In the past it was easier while there was a lot of working holiday people - (but) Jobkeeper still has extra time to go - there are people taking that money and not working for it,” he said.

“While it is not as easy as previous years, the reality is that we manage.”

The gardening industry has been particularly busy in recent months but Landscaping Queensland boss Mark Sorby said there were still positions free.

“Gold Coast like much of Queensland from a landscape industry perspective has been really busy for most of the year after the initial fears and uncertainty of COVID,” he said.

“From September is very busy in the lead up to Christmas but this year demand is extremely high for the services of landscapers, who are struggling to find adequately trained staff to help meet this demand.

“Landscaping has underlying skills shortages at entry level and sometimes falls through the cracks when schemes and funding is allocated to encourage new participants into the industry.”

Originally published as State Government offers new incentives to fill Gold Coast tourism job vacancies