The Victorian tourism industry is globally recognised. But what makes it so special is the passionate people behind-the-scenes who deliver world-class tourism experiences across the state. It is fundamental that businesses can recruit, train, and retain the best and brightest people to ensure a strong and robust workforce in the tourism industry.
By understanding the needs and motivations of your workforce, you can attract and secure the skills needed to grow your business.
Recruitment
Australia’s workforce shortages are putting pressure on many local businesses, making it challenging to attract and retain the right staff and skills.
By fostering talented tourism professionals, you can help your staff to understand the scope and diversity a career in tourism can provide and give them a clear career pathway in the industry.
Taking a long-term approach to recruitment, will support you to recruit the right staff instead of just filling a role in the short-term, which may end up taking more time with your efforts constantly tied-up with filling a role rather than growing your business.
Before you begin your recruitment process, check out the People Excellence Guide, which is one of the free guides provided by Visit Victoria’s Tourism Excellence Program. This guide is an invaluable resource that offers tools and tips for recruiting the right people, providing training and professional development opportunities, retaining staff and letting staff go. There is even a whole section dedicated to staff retention and developing career paths.
Industry workforce development program
The Industry Workforce Development Program is helping to plan and deliver local solutions that address the barriers the sector faces in attraction, retention, and development of a quality workforce.
Each Regional Tourism Board has been provided with funding to establish strategies to employ workers with the skills that are needed to attract visitors to the region and deliver world-class tourist experiences.
This could include training for skilled roles like chefs, restaurant managers, and retail managers, online platforms to connect job seekers to regional jobs, and programs to address workforce shortages.
Case study – Ballarat Multicultural Recruitment Program
Ballarat Regional Tourism has partnered with Ballarat Regional Multicultural Council on a pilot project to support employment opportunities for multicultural job seekers in the region.
The pilot project, funded through the Industry Workforce Development Program, seeks to:
- identify and address barriers that migrants and refugees may face to working within the tourism and hospitality sector
- identify and address barriers that employers may face in attracting and recruiting retaining staff from diverse backgrounds
- highlight project successes in video and written testimonials featuring participating employers and job seekers that can be shared via social media.
Ballarat Regional Multicultural Council has been leading catch ups with multicultural jobseekers and industry and is working with hospitality and tourism businesses like Sovereign Hill to make recruitment processes more accessible to migrants.
If your business is interested in connecting with multicultural job seekers from within Ballarat, please contact Ballarat Regional Multicultural Council for more information.
Resources and additional information
You can reach out to the following networks if you require help with the recruitment process or finding the right staff for your tourism business.
Jobs Victoria
Jobs Victoria offers free recruitment support to connect businesses and employers with new staff. They provide information, advice and support in person, online and on the phone.
The Jobs Victoria online hub is a free service connecting employers with people looking for work. You can post job vacancies, review applications and contact candidates.
When you register, a Jobs Victoria team member will contact you to learn more about your business. They will help you set up your account and show you how the online hub can best meet your recruitment needs.
Jobs Victoria Partners can also assist with recruitment planning and connect you to ready, local candidates.
To find a Jobs Victoria Partner near you and access free recruitment support, you can:
- find a local Jobs Victoria Partner on the partners map
- call the Jobs Victoria hotline on 1300 208 575 or email info@jobs.vic.gov.au
Jobs Victoria Partners can support your new staff with training and mentoring, to make sure they have a smooth transition into your workplace.
Australian Government Department of Employment and Workplace Relations
Australian Government Department of Employment and Workplace Relations provides free advice and financial incentives for employers. They have a section specific for hiring staff, as well as a section for finding regional employees. They can also connect you to Employment Service Providers who can offer more localised recruitment advice and support.
Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
The Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry is an independent, non-government body representing the Victorian business community and industry. Their services include providing support, advice and representation for all workplace matters.
Quality Tourism Accreditation Program
The Quality Tourism Accreditation Program offers online modules in human resource management. The module covers legislation relating to employing staff along with comprehensive ongoing training and skills development.
Victoria Tourism Industry Council (VTIC)
VTIC’s Industry Support Hub has a range of information and resources to support businesses in attracting, recruiting and managing staff.
Training
Whether one is starting a career in tourism or is a seasoned worker, providing training and professional development opportunities to staff is fundamental to the longevity of a tourism business.
Training can assist in making sure your staff has the right skills and attitude to elevate the customer experience, but it can also give your staff purpose and drive to want to improve and develop within the industry.
The Melbourne Tourism Leadership Program gives people working in tourism the opportunity to become effective leaders in the industry through practical learning workshops.
Victoria is home to some of Australia's leading tourism-related training providers. From TAFEs to private training companies, there is a training provider to help with your business needs.
The Victorian Government provides a resource for exploring vocational education and training options offered by TAFE and training providers through the Victorian Skills Gateway. Obtain free advice and information on training and find courses that are either regulated qualifications under the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF), or short training programs comprising units of competency from regulated qualifications.
Some training providers in Victoria include but is not limited to:
- William Angliss Institute
- Chisholm Institute of TAFE
- Gordon Institute of TAFE
- Melbourne Polytechnic (formerly NMIT)
- Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Victoria also has a network of Learn Local not-for-profit community organisations delivering a range of pre-accredited training and program options in a variety of learning topics. Pre-accredited training includes short courses in communication, study skills, job skills, getting ready to go back to work, reading and writing, maths, English and computers, as well as preparation for various industries such as horticulture, childcare or hospitality. Training can be tailored to your workplace skills requirements, and government subsidies may be available.
Professional development does not have to only be through training. Your staff can learn new skills and develop their careers in tourism by enrolling in a program, participating in workshops or joining a network of industry peers. They can include:
- Business Victoria’s small business workshops to improve skills, network with others and receive advice from an expert or mentor.
- Young Tourism Network provides tomorrow’s leaders in the tourism industry the opportunity to learn and grow through professional development workshops and networking opportunities, gain valuable knowledge, and build strong relationships across the broader industry.
- Australian Tourism Export Council offers an extensive suite of training modules that can attract staff back to the tourism industry and upskill new entrants to market. All training programs can be delivered online, face-to-face workshops or hybrid (a combination of both) that offer regional and city businesses equal opportunity to expand their commercial opportunities.
Rewarding staff
The Victorian Tourism Awards showcase and recognise the state’s leaders in tourism excellence. The Awards encourage businesses to meet and strive to exceed industry standards, and play an integral role in rewarding excellence, innovation, industry professionalism and collaboration.
Included among the various categories are 3 individual awards that recognise personal and professional achievement and contributions:
- Outstanding Contribution By An Individual
- Outstanding Contribution By Volunteers
- Young Achiever’s Award.
