Education/training
Hospitality industry needs workersFor college students Steven Ballantyne and Jonathan Bautista, the labour shortage in Alberta was an unbeatable opportunity to hone their culinary-arts skills while experiencing another part of the country. |
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 [ 2008-02-13 ] |
Both are studying at George Brown College in Toronto and jumped at the chance to work in the booming province. "Everywhere you go, it's hard to find a place that doesn't have a Now Hiring sign in the window," says Ballantyne, 23. "You could go just about anywhere and find a job."
HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE
The pair learned about opportunities in Alberta through their instructor. The college has teamed up with Canadian Hospitality Investment Properties, one of the country's largest hotel and resort management companies, to help fill the labour shortage and give students hands-on experience.
Ballantyne and Bautista completed interviews over the phone and headed out west last fall to complete two "externships." They worked at a hotel in Edmonton for four months and are now working at a hotel in Fort McMurray.
"If you have a drive to work, Alberta's the place to be," Ballantyne says. "Rent is a bit more expensive than Ontario, but you make a lot more money." Bautista, a foreign exchange student from the Caribbean, agrees. "I thought working in Alberta would be an adventure because I hadn't been out of Ontario."
The labour shortage remains the biggest challenge facing the industry, reports Dave Kaiser, president and CEO of the Alberta Hotel & Lodging Association.
The province's robust economy is partly to blame, but demographics are also coming into play. The tourism and hospitality industry relies heavily on youth for its workforce. Workers aged 18 to 24 years account for 48% of the labour force, and that percentage is shrinking, Kaiser says.
"At the same time, we're competing with higher-paying industries ... There's not an industry sector across the board that's not hurting," he says. "Housing is another challenge. Accommodation is expensive, which is why a lot of properties in national parks like Banff and Jasper will provide accommodation for their employees."
According to the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association (CRFA), restaurant operators in Alberta are coping with an estimated shortfall of 11,000 employees in the foodservice industry alone. "There's no question Alberta has all sorts of opportunities," says Mark von Schellwitz, CRFA vice-president for western Canada.
Companies are enticing potential workers with attractive perks. Banff Lodging Company, which owns and operates seven hotels and four restaurants in Banff National Park, for example, offers an anniversary bonus, free bus pass and canoe pass programs, complimentary room program, massage discounts, and ski and snowboard programs.
Other than accommodation and housing, the standard of living in Alberta is comparable to other parts of the country, Kaiser notes. And the labour shortage does mean you can often command higher than minimum wage in many positions.
"Some Tim Hortons have reduced hours because they don't have the staff," Kaiser says. "If you're proactive, it wouldn't be hard to find opportunities within the hospitality and tourism sector ... There are all kinds of opportunities available."
Compared to the rest of the country, Alberta reported the highest provincial average wage in accommodation and food services, at almost $12 an hour in 2006. The industry is expected to experience strong growth over the next decade.
USEFUL WEBSITES
- According to a Workforce Strategy report, approximately 10% of Alberta's workforce -- more than 180,000 people -- earn their paycheques in the tourism and hospitality industry. The accommodation and food services segment accounts for approximately 60% of total industry employment.
- Interested in working in Alberta's tourism and hospitality industry? In addition to the websites of hotels and other companies, industry insiders recommend the following:
www.crfa.ca (Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association)
www.discovertourism.ca (a website funded by the federal government)
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