The city’s night time economy adviser to Mayor Andy Burnham has moved to highlight a wealth of well-paid jobs in the hospitality sector for students ahead of the summer break. Sacha Lord is keen to get new blood into the industry in the wake of a ‘staffing drought’ in kitchens and bars all over Manchester.
"The opportunities in the hospitality sector are huge at the moment, whether that's for front of house roles, chefs, bartenders, kitchen porters, promoters, or assistant managers,” he said. "I know many people who say working behind the bar was the best job they've ever had, and there are huge opportunities right now for young people to pocket some extra money and have fun over the summer season.
“These jobs won't just give them valuable experience when they choose to move into full time employment, but the social experiences which we all know have been massively missed in the past two years.” The Parklife and Warehouse Project boss has flagged a host of current vacancies in Manchester, all of which are paying above the living wage.
Among them are opportunities at Escape to Freight Island, the AO Arena, Rio Ferdinand's Rosso Restaurant, King Street tapas resturant El Gato Negro, The Oast House, Manchester United's Old Trafford stadium, and celeb-fave the Dakota Hotel.
According to data from The Open University and the British Chambers of Commerce, more than two thirds (68%) of small businesses are looking at skills shortages, with that figure rising to 86% for large organisations. Meanwhile, staff shortages in the hospitality industry have meant that 45% of operators have been forced to cut trading hours, according to UKHospitality.
Lord recently said that pubs, bars and restaurants are heading for ‘absolute disaster’ due to staff shortages, rising inflation, rising costs of produce and increased energy bills. He told the Manchester Evening News: “My phone is off the hook at the moment. The overall feeling, certainly from the independents, is that at least during lockdown one, there was support there, furlough, business rates relief, bounceback loans, but no one expected this.
“Sadly, it’s the operators in more deprived areas who are going to be hit hardest. The backstreet boozers and the community pubs.” Lord recently announced a scheme to offer free happy hours at pubs and venues across the city, to say thank you to punters who have supported hospitality over this difficult period.
It launched last weekend at the newly opened Adelphi Lads Club in Salford, and will move around various venues over the coming weeks. The next ‘Hospitality Hours’ will be at The Crooked Man in Prestwich on Sunday 17 July, from 4pm to 5pm, and then Bask in Stockport on July 24 from 4pm and 5pm.
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