A general staff shortage was becoming an issue even before the Coronavirus pandemic
Translated by Thomas Ansell
On Thursday, at the Blokhuispoort in Leeuwarden, a mixture of business representatives and the province of Friesland came together to launch a new initiative aimed at solving a long-term staff shortage in Friesland’s hospitality industry. As reported by the Omrop Fryslân, the ‘Action plan for future-proof jobs’ was presented by Christel Koning of Koninklijke Horeca Nederland, and Avine Fokkens (VVD), a deputy of the Province.
The action plan has been signed by a mixture of schools and colleges, as well as a large number of hospitality businesses. “We think that we should demonstrate how enjoyable our jobs in hospitality are, and what guest service is all about. We’re really suffering from staff shortages; even before the Coronavirus, we were crying out for more people”, said Koning.
Koning went on to say that the sector has a bit of an image problem, with people pointing to low wages, working during other people’s leisure time, and long days. However, Koning added, “that is no longer the case, we’re growing and we are developing”.
Another party involved in the new action plan is the Toerisme Collectief Friesland, a collaboration between businesses and Friesland College, ROC Friese Poort, and NHL Stenden. The collective intends to offer a wider range of internships and projects for students in the province.
Photo by Kate Townsend on Unsplash
