Are international students the solution to vacant hospo jobs?

Australia’s tourism and hospitality sectors are suffering from massive staff shortages due to the pandemic.

When the pandemic first hit our shores, thousands of international workers fled Australia back to their home countries, which left a shortage of employees to fill these sports.

With a shortage of workers, many businesses have been unable to meet consumer demand, therefore potentially slowing down their economic recovery as well as the recovery of states and our country.

An industry that employed millions of people needs all the help it can get to recover.

NSW has been proactive in this, first with its Dine and Discover initiative and now by attempting to bring international students back to the country.

Students will be encouraged to help fill significant shortages in positions like baristas, cleaners and waitstaff. More employees in these businesses will speed up Australia’s economic recovery through wages and increased tax revenue.

NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said international students could play a vital role in the state’s economic recovery.

“Typically, we have more than 250,000 international students studying in NSW each year and they directly supported over 95,000 local jobs prior to the pandemic. If we don’t act fast, students will turn to other overseas destinations and it could take the sector decades to recover.

“That’s why we’ve developed a pilot plan supported by NSW Health and NSW Police that enables 250 international students to come to Sydney per fortnight from mid-year, in a gradual approach that will enable us to closely manage the process and ensure community health is not compromised.”

The plan is now being considered and reviewed by the federal Government.

Irit Jackson, 17th June 2021