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Inquiry into career advice activities in
Victorian schools
R&CA Submission
December 2017
EEJSC Submission No. 80 Received 22 December 2017
RESTAURANT & CATERING AUSTRALIA
Restaurant & Catering Australia (R&CA) is the national industry association representing the interests
of over 40,000 restaurants, cafes and catering businesses across Australia. R&CA delivers tangible
outcomes to small businesses within the hospitality industry by influencing the policy decisions and
regulations that impact the sector’s operating environment.
R&CA is committed to ensuring the industry is recognised as one of excellence, professionalism,
profitability and sustainability. This includes advocating the broader social and economic
contribution of the sector to industry and government stakeholders, as well as highlighting the value
of the restaurant experience to the public.
Cover images courtesy of Tourism Australia:
Top left: Visit Victoria (2016) Interior of Supernormal, Josie Withers.
Top middle: Tourism Australia/Time Out Australia (2014) Provenance Hotel, Beechworth, Roberto Seba.
Top right: Visit Victoria (2016) Cookie, Melbourne, Robert Blackburn.
Bottom left: Visit Victoria (2016) Plated food at Supernormal, Josie Withers.
Bottom right: Visit Victoria (2016) Chef prepares food at DOC Espresso, Josie Withers.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION ________________________________________________________________ 1
POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS ____________________________________________________ 2
OVERVIEW OF VICTORIAN HOSPITALITY SECTOR ___________________________________ 3
SIZE _________________________________________________________________________ 3
ECONOMIC AND EMPLOYMENT CONTRIBUTION ______________________________________ 3
Figure 1: Turnover in the Café, Restaurant & Catering Industry _________________________ 4
Figure 2: Business Count in the Café, Restaurant & Catering Industry ____________________ 4
OVERVIEW OF VICTORIAN HOSPITALITY SECTOR ___________________________________ 5
APPRENTICES AND TRAINEES _____________________________________________________ 5
Figure 3: Apprentices and Trainees by Age and By Industry Sector ______________________ 5
SKILLS SHORTAGES ______________________________________________________________ 7
SKILLS, RETENTION AND RECRUITMENT PROBLEMS ____________________________________ 7
Figure 4: Top 10 occupations by accumulated labour demand, 2015-2020 ________________ 8
Figure 5: Skills, recruitment and retention difficulty by tourism sub-sector ________________ 8
TRANSITION BETWEEN SCHOOL AND WORK ______________________________________ 9
PERCEPTION OF HOSPITALITY WORK AS SHORT-TERM __________________________________ 9
PERCEPTION OF APPRENTICESHIPS AND TRAINEESHIPS ________________________________ 10
Figure 6: Australian youth’s view of apprenticeships and university degrees ______________ 10
REFORMS TO CAREER ADVICE ACTIVITIES IN VICTORIAN SCHOOLS ___________________ 11
DELIVERY OF CAREERS ADVICE ACTIVITIES __________________________________________ 11
TRAINING OF CAREERS ADVISERS _________________________________________________ 12
PERSONALITY TESTING__________________________________________________________ 12
HIGH-PROFILE INDUSTRY FIGURES ________________________________________________ 12
CONSISTENCY IN THE QUALITY OF CAREERS ADVICE PROVIDED __________________________ 13
ADDITIONAL VET SECTOR FUNDING _______________________________________________ 13
CONCLUSION _________________________________________________________________ 15
REFERENCES LIST ______________________________________________________________ 16
Page 1
INTRODUCTION
R&CA welcomes the opportunity to provide a submission to the Victorian Parliament’s Economic,
Education, Jobs and Skills Committee’s Inquiry into career advice activities in Victorian schools. R&CA
acknowledges the importance of the role played by careers advisers in providing secondary school
students with high-quality careers advice, which ultimately contributes to the quality and robustness
of the Australian workforce.
R&CA’s overall objective is to ensure that the benefits and opportunities of a long-term career path
in the hospitality sector are being actively promoted to students as part of careers advice programs
in Victorian secondary schools. At present, Victoria’s hospitality sector is experiencing chronic skills
shortages, particularly amongst the key occupations of cook, chef and café and restaurant manager.
R&CA argues that it is essential for all Victorian school students to have access to timely and accurate
careers advice so they have the necessary knowledge and information to successfully transition
themselves into the growing hospitality workforce.
R&CA believes that the design, content and delivery of careers advice in Victorian schools must be
structured in a way which maximises attraction, retention and completion of hospitality courses in
the VET sector. To achieve this, the provision of careers advice should occur as a sustained process
throughout a student’s secondary school education rather than receiving an influx of information
upon graduation. Furthermore, greater awareness of VET pathways must be promoted as part of an
overhaul to the way that careers advice in Victorian schools is administered to address false and
inaccurate perceptions surrounding hospitality sector careers. The provision of information regarding
VET as a post-school pathway must be made a central component of careers advice programs to
address the stark imbalance that exists between university and the VET sector.
R&CA stresses that reforms to the careers advice provided in Victorian schools will not on its own
solve the chronic skills shortages facing Victoria’s hospitality sector. Whilst R&CA welcomes
improvements being made to school careers advice programs, a comprehensive package of reforms
aimed at addressing structural deficiencies in the VET sector is required. R&CA argues that increasing
funding and investment in Victoria’s VET sector is essential in alleviating significant issues related to
the attraction, retention and completion of hospitality courses and the significantly imbalanced
perceptions currently associated with careers in the hospitality sector.
Page 2
POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
R&CA’s policy recommendations, as outlined in this submission, are summarised in the list below.
1. Careers advice in Victorian schools should occur at the earliest possible stage of a student’s
secondary school education, rather than being delayed until students have almost
graduated;
2. Properly training and equipping careers advisers to provide accurate and informative advice
regarding long-term careers in the hospitality sector;
3. Emphasising the benefits of a long-term career path within the hospitality sector and the
opportunities available to students who pursue this option;
4. Incorporating information regarding apprenticeships and trainees as post-secondary school
options;
5. Commissioning influential hospitality figures to give interactive presentations to secondary
school students about the benefits of careers in the sector;
6. Combining sector-specific careers advice with personality testing to match candidates with
the roles that they are most suited to;
7. Providing consistency in the quality of careers advice across all Victorian schools so that
students in rural and regional areas are not disadvantaged when evaluating their post-
secondary school career options; and
8. Accompanying reforms to Victoria’s careers advice activities with significant investment in
the VET sector and other appropriate policy measures to ensure that as many students as
possible are pursuing a long-term career path within the hospitality sector;
Page 3
OVERVIEW OF VICTORIAN HOSPITALITY SECTOR
SIZE
According to the most recently available Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data, there were 11,366
cafés and restaurants operating in Victoria, as well as 942 catering businesses at the end of the 2015-
16 Financial Year (see Figure 2).1 Out of Victoria’s 12,308 cafés, restaurants and catering businesses,
more than 93 per cent are small businesses employing 19 people or less.2 Victoria accounts for
approximately 28.5 per cent of all café, restaurant and catering businesses throughout Australia
which is second only to New South Wales at 34.9 per cent.3 Over the duration of the 2015-16
Financial Year, the number of cafés and restaurants in Victoria grew at a rate of 6.9 per cent which
was second only to the Northern Territory.4 In the city of Melbourne alone, there are 2,711 food
services businesses accounting for 35,478 jobs and generating an economic output of $4.9 billion.5
ECONOMIC AND EMPLOYMENT CONTRIBUTION
The hospitality sector, including cafés, restaurants and catering businesses, generates billions of
dollars a year for the Victorian economy. For the year ending October 2017, industry turnover for
the sector in Victoria was $6.5 billion.6 When incorporating turnover generated from takeaway sales,
the total industry turnover was $10.4 billion.7 A breakdown of the turnover generated from Victoria’s
café, restaurant and catering sector in comparison to other Australian states and territories can be
viewed in Figure 1 overleaf. The café and restaurant sector also employs 156,800 Victorians, equating
to 73.5 per cent of the total employment in the Accommodation and Food Services sector across the
state.8 Furthermore, the sector is expected to experience significant growth over the coming 5 years,
with an additional 29,400 positions to be created in Victoria.9 R&CA expects that a majority of the
new positions to be created in Victoria’s hospitality sector will be amongst the skilled occupations of
chefs, cooks, and café and restaurant managers. Given the increased demand over the coming years,
1 Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) 2017 8165.0 - Counts of Australian Businesses, including Entries and Exits, Jun 2012 to Jun 2016. 2 Ibid. 3 Ibid 4 Ibid 5 City of Melbourne, (2017) Economic Profile http://melbourne.geografia.com.au/ 6 Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (2017) 8501.0 - Retail Trade, Australia, Sep 2017. 7 Ibid. 8 Department of Employment (2016) Employment Outlook to May 2022 9 Ibid.
Page 4
it is essential that all policy levers are adjusted to ensure that the hospitality sector’s need for skilled
labour can be met.
Turnover in the Café, Restaurant & Catering Industry
State
Sector
Month of October Year Ending October
Oct 16 ($M) Oct 17 ($M) % Change MoM Oct 16 ($M) Oct 17 ($M) % Change YoY
NSW Café, Restaurant & Catering Services 696.5 766.4 10.0% 8238.3 8417.4 2.2%
Café, Restaurant & Takeaway Services 1271.6 1341.2 5.5% 14427.8 15090.5 4.6%
VIC Café, Restaurant & Catering Services 540.5 569.9 5.4% 6088.6 6481.0 6.4%
Café, Restaurant & Takeaway Services 886.3 917.7 3.5% 9888.7 10380.1 5.0%
QLD Café, Restaurant & Catering Services 427.9 420.4 -1.8% 4946.2 4905.4 -0.8%
Café, Restaurant & Takeaway Services 749.3 737.7 -1.5% 8683.7 8609.0 -0.9%
SA Café, Restaurant & Catering Services 96.9 129.4 33.5% 1128.0 1330.1 17.9%
Café, Restaurant & Takeaway Services 188.8 227.4 20.4% 2195.3 2417.4 10.1%
WA Café, Restaurant & Catering Services 290.2 296.3 2.1% 3297.7 3484.2 5.7%
Café, Restaurant & Takeaway Services 459.9 479.9 4.3% 5125.9 5515.0 7.6%
TAS Café, Restaurant & Catering Services 25.6 28.5 11.3% 304.2 327.6 7.7%
Café, Restaurant & Takeaway Services 52.7 58.6 11.2% 613.5 673.5 9.8%
NT Café, Restaurant & Catering Services 21.3 23.4 9.9% 229.4 246.8 7.6%
Café, Restaurant & Takeaway Services 41.5 42.1 1.4% 472.3 469.3 -0.6%
ACT Café, Restaurant & Catering Services 41.9 41.7 -0.5% 511.6 496.5 -3.0%
Café, Restaurant & Takeaway Services 66.6 66.6 0.0% 788.3 791.8 0.4%
Total Café, Restaurant & Catering Services 2140.8 2275.9 6.3% 24743.7 25688.8 3.8%
Café, Restaurant & Takeaway Services 3716.6 3871.1 4.2% 42195.1 43946.7 4.2%
Café, Restaurant and Catering Businesses operating at end of financial year - June 2016
State Business Type Non
Employ. 1-19
Employ. 20-199
Employ. 200+
Employ. Change
% Change
Entry Rate %
Exit Rate %
Sub Total
Total No. Businesses
NSW Café & Restaurants 2643 10216 778 17 677 5.2 24.2 19.0 13660
15,030 Catering Services 474 798 83 9 42 3.2 20.9 17.8 1370
VIC Café & Restaurants 2308 8327 715 18 737 6.9 24.5 17.6 11366
12,308 Catering Services 366 478 86 5 2 0.2 18.2 18.4 942
QLD Café & Restaurants 1311 5105 645 9 442 6.7 25.2 18.6 7068
7,676 Catering Services 262 306 33 3 22 3.8 19.8 15.7 608
SA Café & Restaurants 393 1617 189 0 134 6.5 23.4 16.7 2196
2,429 Catering Services 90 123 22 0 -2 -0.9 12.3 11.9 233
WA Café & Restaurants 633 2403 437 7 135 4.0 21.7 17.6 3471
3,807 Catering Services 141 171 28 3 5 1.5 22.1 20.5 336
TAS Café & Restaurants 105 530 57 3 24 3.6 20.4 16.0 691
756 Catering Services 25 40 3 0 -8 -11.0 19.2 19.2 65
NT Café & Restaurants 38 135 31 3 22 12.0 25.0 14.7 206
242 Catering Services 12 18 3 0 1 2.9 17.1 14.3 36
ACT Café & Restaurants 143 578 84 4 20 2.5 21.2 19.0 811
870 Catering Services 18 42 6 0 -3 -4.8 8.1 21.0 59
Figure 1: Turnover in the Café, Restaurant & Catering Industry
Source: ABS 8501.0 Retail Trade, Australia; State by Industry Subgroup, Original.
Figure 2: Business Count in the Café, Restaurant & Catering Industry
Source: ABS 8165.0 Counts of Australian Businesses, including Entries and Exits, Jun 2012 to Jun 2016.
Page 5
OVERVIEW OF VICTORIAN HOSPITALITY SECTOR
APPRENTICES AND TRAINEES
According to recently published data by the Department of Employment, the Accommodation and
Food Services sector has 28,000 apprentices and trainees nationally.10 This is the second highest out
of any industry sector, following construction which has 80,600.11 Figure 3 below shows the overall
levels of apprentices and trainees in the Accommodation and Food Services sector compared to
other industries. Despite the comparatively large number of apprentices and trainees in the sector,
it is also important to point out that the total number of apprenticeships and trainees across all
industries, not just within the hospitality sector, has declined over the last five years.12
Figure 3: Apprentices and Trainees by Age and By Industry Sector
Graph reproduced from Department of Employment (2017) 2017 Australian Jobs, 28 June.
10 Department of Employment (2017) 2017 Australian Jobs, 28 June. 11 Ibid. 12 Ibid.
Page 6
As the graph presented in Figure 3 highlights, the vast majority of the apprentices and trainees in the
hospitality sector also fall within the younger age bracket. Close to half of the hospitality sector
workforce consists of young workers, with 45 per cent aged between 15 and 24 years.13 The median
age for the café, restaurant and takeaway food sector is 24 years.14 The predominance of younger
workers within the sector is further evidenced by the fact that only 21 per cent of the hospitality
workforce were aged 41 years or over.15 Given the dependence of the hospitality sector on younger
workers, it is essential that secondary school students have access to timely, accurate and informative
careers advice regarding careers in the hospitality sector.
13 Ibid. 14 Ibid. 15 Department of Employment, (2014), Industry Outlook - Industry Outlook Accommodation and Food Services, December.
Page 7
SKILLS SHORTAGES
It is well documented that the hospitality industry is currently facing chronic shortages in the supply
of skilled labour. These shortages are particularly acute amongst skilled hospitality occupations such
as cooks, chefs and café and restaurant managers. Evidence of this can be seen in R&CA’s 2017
Industry Benchmarking Report which found that 70.7 per cent of businesses surveyed indicated that
it was either ‘difficult’ or ‘very difficult’ to fill the position of chef.16 The need for chefs and café and
restaurant managers is expected to be particularly strong in the years leading up to 2020 with
accumulated demand for these positions by 2020 totalling 7,600 and 5,400 respectively.17 Figure 4
overleaf highlights the shortages being experienced among chefs and café and restaurant managers
in comparison to other hospitality sector occupations. Chronic shortfalls in the supply of skilled and
unskilled workers are especially problematic for café and restaurant businesses which rely heavily on
the ready availability of labour to operate efficiently and successfully.
SKILLS, RETENTION AND RECRUITMENT PROBLEMS
Data from a 2015 Deloitte Access Economics Report indicated that the café and restaurant sector had
the highest level of deficiencies in relation to skills, retention and recruitment of staff out of all
tourism-related sub-sectors.18 Alarmingly, 71 per cent of restaurants and cafés identified recruitment
difficulties which was almost double the average reported across other tourism industry sectors.19
81 per cent of cafés and restaurants also reported skills deficiencies in potential staff which was 12
per cent higher than the national average with chef identified as the top occupation affected by skills
deficiencies.20 As shown in Figure 6 overleaf, 7 out of the top 10 occupations by accumulated labour
demand in the tourism industry are directly relevant to cafés and restaurants. To help address chronic
skills deficiencies across hospitality sector occupations, it is essential that the transition between
school and the workforce is being managed effectively so that students can learn the skills they need
to succeed in a long-term hospitality career path.
16 Restaurant & Catering Australia (R&CA), 2017 Industry Benchmarking Report. 17 Deloitte Access Economics (2015) Australian Tourism Labour Force Report: 2015-2020, Australian Trade Commission, Austrade, October 2015. 18 Ibid. 19 Ibid. 20 Ibid.
Page 8
Figure 4: Top 10 occupations by accumulated labour demand, 2015-2020
Source: DAE labour force model.
Figure 4 replicated from Deloitte Access Economics (2015), Australian Tourism Labour Force Report: 2015-2020, p. xv
Occupation Accumulated demand
for skilled workers Accumulated demand
for new workers % all demand 2015 employment
Kitchenhands 4,966 17,118 14% 79,732
Waiters 4,895 13,868 11% 79,991
Bar Attendants and Baristas
3,857 10,578 9% 58,273
Chefs 7,603 9,936 8% 49,126
Cafe and Restaurant Managers
5,365 9,774 8% 40,652
Cooks 4,549 9,325 8% 40,642
Automobile Drivers 5,213 9,116 7% 26,137
Cafe Workers 1,425 4,472 4% 22,169
Hotel and Motel Managers 2,243 4,266 3% 16,253
Tourism and Travel Advisers
2,932 4,048 3% 17,450
Top 10 subtotal 43,048 92,502 75% 430,424
Total 59,689 123,125 100% 554,750
Metric Accommodation Attractions Restaurants & Cafes Other
Businesses reported as seasonal 44% 49% 59% 47%
Average # employees 21 22 21 11
Vacancy rate 5% 4% 9% 10%
Turnover rate 51% 42% 88% 61%
% identifying recruitment deficiencies
39% 36% 71% 38%
% identifying retention deficiencies
27% 22% 52% 30%
% identifying skills deficiencies 66% 59% 81% 64%
Top deficiency identified Capability
management Experience
opportunities Capability
misalignment Experience
Top occupation affected by deficiency
Cleaner Tour guide Chef Hospitality
Worker
Figure 5 replicated from Deloitte Access Economics (2015) Australian Tourism Labour Force Report:2015-2020.
Figure 5: Skills, recruitment and retention difficulty by tourism sub-sector
Page 9
TRANSITION BETWEEN SCHOOL AND WORK
Currently, there is evidence to suggest that the transition between school and work for those
employed within the hospitality sector is not being managed effectively. Deficiencies with Victoria’s
current careers advice system can be reflected in the fact that less than a third of Victorian school
completers surveyed in 2014 indicated that their career advice was very useful which was down from
44.4 per cent in 2010.21 These patterns can also be seen with a decline in the number of
apprenticeships being completed as well as high rates attrition within the sector. Overall, the number
of apprentices and trainees has decreased, with recent NCVER data showing a 4.7 per cent decrease
in apprentices and trainees in-training in the 12 months to June 2017.22 In addition, around 60 per
cent of students who discontinue with apprentice courses do so within their first year which is
another indication that students may not be managing the transition to these courses effectively.23
R&CA believes that one of the major reasons contributing to systemic issues around attraction,
retention and completion of hospitality sector courses is due to negative and inaccurate perceptions
associated with the pursuit of a hospitality career path.
PERCEPTION OF HOSPITALITY WORK AS SHORT-TERM
One of the major perceptions associated with the hospitality sector work is that it is of a transitory
or short-term nature. This damaging perception is fuelled by the hospitality sector having ‘low
success rates and high rates of staff and apprentice turnover’.24 The high rate of attrition in the
hospitality industry is problematic for both the stability of the businesses and the employees
themselves. R&CA argues that the promotion of long-term career paths within the sector as part of
school careers advice programs is required to overcome the detrimental impact caused by such
perceptions. R&CA itself has already been actively involved in efforts to attract more students to a
long-term career in the hospitality sector through its Discover Hospitality brand.
21 Clarke. K (2015) Careers education must be for all, not just those going to university, The Conversation, 20 October. 22 National Centre for Vocational Educational Research (NCVER) (2017) Australian vocational education and training statistics - Apprentices and trainees 2016 (June Quarter). 23 Bednarz, A (2014) Understanding the non-completion of apprentices National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER). 24 Dickie, McDonald & Pedic 2011 as cited in Bednarz, A (2014) Understanding the non-completion of apprentices National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER).
Page 10
PERCEPTION OF APPRENTICESHIPS AND TRAINEESHIPS
In addition to perceptions surrounding the nature of hospitality work are the perceptions
surrounding apprenticeships and traineeships as being inferior to the completion of a university
degree. Recently published research by Year13 found that three out of every four young people
would not consider an apprenticeship or traineeship as a career.25 The same research also suggested
that young people did not view apprenticeships and university degrees on equal footing.26 Young
peoples’ perceptions of the value of an apprenticeship or traineeship are particularly important
when they are weighing up career options post-high school. Without adequate information on
hospitality sector careers through careers advice activities, students’ decision-making processes will
be unduly influenced by perceptions gained from other sources such as teachers, friends and parents.
If the perception that apprenticeships and traineeships are inferior to university degrees persists, this
will exacerbate the chronic skills shortages being experienced by hospitality sector employers.
25 Year13 (2017) After The ATAR: Understanding How Gen Z Transition Into Further Education and Employment. 26 Ibid.
Figure 6: Australian youth’s view of apprenticeships and university degrees
Figure 6 replicated from Year13 (2017) After The ATAR: Understanding How Gen Z Transition Into Further Education and Employment.
Page 11
REFORMS TO CAREER ADVICE ACTIVITIES IN
VICTORIAN SCHOOLS
In R&CA’s view, instituting reforms to careers advice activities in Victorian schools is critical given the
strong correlation between school careers advice and future youth employment outcomes. Whilst
students’ career decisions are based on information received from a combination of numerous
sources including parents, friends and online information, school careers advisors nevertheless
provide students with specific and tailored career advice which can have a significant influence over
their final decision. Ensuring that students in Victorian secondary schools skills receive timely,
accurate and informative careers advice regarding potential long-term career paths within the
hospitality sector is a key priority for R&CA as part of any proposed reforms to Victoria’s careers
advice activities. The advice given to students needs to emphasise the benefits of a long-term career
within hospitality and the potential opportunities which are available to the students who pursue
this option.
DELIVERY OF CAREERS ADVICE ACTIVITIES
R&CA argues that both the content and delivery of careers advice within schools is critical in ensuring
that Victorian secondary school students are well-equipped to make decisions about their future
career. To ensure the most effective possible transition between school and work, it is important that
students are being provided with careers information throughout their secondary school as opposed
to receiving an influx of information as they approach graduation. In R&CA’s view, information
regarding potential careers options in the hospitality sector should commence at the earliest possible
stage in a students’ secondary school education. In doing so, this allows students an adequate
amount of time to properly evaluate post-school career options rather than being rushed into a
decision upon completion of Year 12. The provision of careers advice should occur as a sustained
process throughout all stages of secondary school education rather than merely as a once-off event.
Furthermore, the earlier that students have access to careers advice programs in schools, the sooner
they are able to pursue external opportunities which will enable them to obtain the desired skills and
experienced required to pursue their chosen career path effectively.
Page 12
TRAINING OF CAREERS ADVISERS
In its previous submissions and parliamentary evidence, R&CA has recommended incorporating the
latest and most up-to-date employment data as part of the training provided to careers advisers. This
policy measure will result in students having access to timely, accurate and informative careers advice
regarding careers in the hospitality sector. Given that the café, restaurant and catering sector is
expected to generate 84,100 jobs by May 202227 (the most out of any economic subsector), R&CA
believes that incorporating such information into careers advice programs will help to address
underlying negative perceptions surrounding individual hospitality occupations and career paths.
The significant employment opportunities available within the hospitality sector are often
overlooked in favour of other aspects which do not necessarily depict the hospitality sector in the
most favourable light. Prospects for training and employment for students within the hospitality
sector are strong whereas this isn’t the case to the same extent for other more popular industries
which students may be inclined to select based on inaccurate perceptions or incorrect careers advice.
R&CA argues that the ability of school careers advisers to provide high-quality careers advice to
Victorian secondary school students is being hampered by a lack of available funds and resources.
PERSONALITY TESTING
Whilst the development of skills is no doubt crucial in maximising the chances of success in pursuing
a hospitality career, equally as important is identifying candidates with personality and human traits
that best suit individual occupations. For instance, a front of house staff will need to possess different
personality traits than that of a chef whose face-to-face time with customers is far more limited.
These nuances can be determined through personality testing which may be of assistance to students
in deciding which specific occupations are best-suited to them. R&CA believes that combining
tailored, industry-specific careers advice with personality testing of students will significantly assist
students in evaluating their post-secondary school career options.
HIGH-PROFILE INDUSTRY FIGURES
Given the recent increase in popularity of various television cooking shows, R&CA argues that this
intrigue and interest should be harnessed at a secondary school level to encourage more students to
pursue hospitality as a long-term career path. One such way of achieving this outcome is through
27 Department of Employment (2016) Employment Outlook to May 2022.
Page 13
commissioning high-profile industry figures to give interactive classroom presentations to school
students as part of their careers advice programs. At the same time, however, it is also important to
ensure that students do not have a glamourised view of the hospitality industry because of
perceptions derived from watching reality television programs. These inaccurate perceptions further
contribute to the stream of students having short-term experiences of hospitality work as they realise
the nature of hospitality work in reality does not mirror the way it is presented in the entertainment
industry. Nonetheless, R&CA believes that influential and successful hospitality figures can still be
used to market the industry to school students and correct negative perceptions of the industry
amongst young people and their peer groups and families.
CONSISTENCY IN THE QUALITY OF CAREERS ADVICE PROVIDED
R&CA urges the Victorian Government to ensure that all schools, regardless of location or region, are
adequately resourced in terms of careers advisers and careers advice programs. R&CA stresses the
need for consistency in the careers advice provided to students across the state and against the
creation of a two-tiered system, believing that doing so would undermine the core objectives of this
Inquiry. Unless the ultimate recommendations from this Inquiry are applied consistently across the
state, R&CA argues that deficiencies in the current model will continue to exacerbate the skills
shortages being experienced across the hospitality sector. Ensuring that school students in rural and
regional areas receive quality careers advice and information regarding hospitality sector career
paths is even more important, given that staff shortages in café and restaurant businesses are often
most acute in areas of low population density. Furthermore, the hospitality sector is a major
employer in rural and regional areas of Victoria and the rate of youth unemployment is often
substantially higher than in metropolitan areas.
ADDITIONAL VET SECTOR FUNDING
R&CA urges the Victorian Government to accompany its investment in careers advisers with
additional funding for the state’s VET sector. At present, there is a significant degree of confusion
surrounding the VET sector among school students which only serves to reinforce incorrect
perceptions about apprenticeships and traineeships. R&CA stresses that reforms to the state’s
careers advice activities need to be accompanied by an overarching set of policies designed at
addressing structural deficiencies in the state’s VET system. For instance, a recent report found that
Page 14
‘the VET sector must…better inform and support young early school leavers if it wants to engage
them and improve youth unemployment opportunities’.28
R&CA argues that the transition from school to work can be managed more effectively with industry-
led mentoring programs in place to maximise completions of hospitality sector courses. Whilst R&CA
believes that retention rates can be improved if students have access to relevant information and
data as part of careers advice activities, this does not negate the need to also invest in mentoring
programs after students have evaluated career options and made their decision about which
pathway to pursue.
28 NCVER (2017) Engaging young early school leavers in vocational training, Eric Dommers, George Myconos, Luke Swain, Stephanie Yung and Kira Clarke.
Page 15
CONCLUSION
R&CA appreciates the opportunity to provide feedback the Victorian Parliament’s Economic,
Education, Jobs and Skills Committee’s Inquiry into career advice activities in Victorian schools. R&CA
is acutely aware of the importance of successfully managing the transition from school into the
workforce and believes that careers advice in schools plays a significant role in influencing students’
decisions about their career paths and long-term goals. R&CA argues that greater industry
involvement is needed in Victorian schools and more resources should be devoted to school careers
advice programs to ensure that secondary school students are properly informed as to the benefits
of a long-term career within the hospitality sector.
In R&CA’s view, the importance of ensuring that students receive informative and accurate careers
advice regarding the hospitality sector is magnified due to the negative perceptions surrounding the
industry which are often propagated through other sources of careers advice such as friends,
teachers and family. To combat against these damaging perceptions, R&CA argues that students must
receive robust careers advice at the earliest possible stage in their secondary school education, rather
than delaying this until graduation. Correcting these perceptions also involves establishing a closer
nexus between high school and the industry through commissioning high-profile, influential
hospitality figures to give interactive presentations to secondary school students about the benefits
of careers in the sector.
Although there is significant scope for the Victorian Government to reform careers advice activities
in schools, R&CA warns that structural adjustments in the design and delivery of this system will not
in and of itself be a solution to the current skills shortages crisis. Rather, improving the state’s careers
advice activities should be viewed as one aspect of an overarching policy approach towards
ameliorating the worsening skills shortage problem. R&CA advises that proper investment is required
in Victoria’s VET sector, alongside the development of industry-led mentoring programs to address
the ingrained problems associated with attraction, retention and completion of apprenticeships and
traineeships. Without this accompanying investment, Victoria’s hospitality industry will be unable to
maximise the economic and employment benefits of its predicted growth over the coming years.
Page 16
REFERENCES LIST
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (2017) 8501.0 - Retail Trade, Australia, Sept 2017.
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