City hotels struggling to attract workers

There may be up to 20,000 people unemployed in Galway but the local hospitality and tourism industry is facing a crisis of a shortage of skilled labour. Bars, restaurants, and hotels in Galway are complaining of a shortage of skilled barmen, waiting staff, receptionists and other workers for skilled and semi-skilled positions in the industry. The Irish Hotels Federation has warned that a skilled labour shortage is one of the biggest threats facing the tourism industry, which is seen as key to Ireland’s economic recovery. An industry survey released this week has found that three-quarters of all hospitality-related businesses in Galway are finding it difficult recruiting suitable qualified craft and entry level staff. Paul Gill, Chair of the Galway Branch of the IHF said: “Hoteliers are finding it more difficult to find qualified staff for entry level positions and this will significantly hinder the prospect of achieving the target to increase tourism related jobs by in excess of 40,000 between now and 2020.” He explained to the Galway City Tribune that since Fáilte Ireland ceased its training role, the skills of the workforce in the industry have diminished. “People are struggling to find workers who are suitably qualified. That’s right across the board and in Galway, although Dublin is feeling it more. They are finding it difficult to fill out a roster with sufficient staff that are skilled.” He explained that the six months certificates for training bar staff and the two year certs for chefs, that used to be offered by Fáilte Ireland, have been discontinued, contributing to the skills shortage.