Hospitality worker – South Australia

A world of opportunity awaits hospitality staff keen to see beyond the industry’s image as providing casual or temporary work and make it a fulfilling career, workers reveal.

Hospitality employs about 742,000 people nationwide in jobs from kitchenhands and baristas to chefs and restaurant managers.

An influx of workers occurs late in the year as hotels and restaurants recruit for the busy festive and summer holiday seasons.

For those who stay with the job beyond the peak season, there are opportunities to move up the ladder and earn good money, travel the world or hone skills to become experts in their field.

Aaron Gillespie, 23, is in his seventh year in the hospitality industry and has worked as head chef of Culinetic at the Adelaide Science Exchange for the past six months.

He says the diversity and travel opportunities appeal to him as much as the cooking. “It is completely different every day,” he says. “Restaurants are where my heart is and I haven’t worked in (function centres) before, but it’s really diverse.”

He says the industry needs more workers in a variety of areas, but especially chefs, who are hard working and passionate about the industry.

“There’s so many opportunities in back of house and even front of house in waiting staff and bar staff,” he says. “I’ve landed a pretty good job as I get free range to do what food I want to do.

“I’m using modern techniques and modern cooking methods and equipment.”

Le Cordon Bleu International chef Philippe Clergue, who is in Adelaide from April 29 to conduct Master Classes and be involved in Tasting Australia events, says those considering a culinary career must be “very curious and willing to learn every day”.

Chef Clergue has worked in top French restaurants and operated his own for 15 years. He now travels the world, teaching students in the prominent organisation’s culinary, hospitality and tourism education courses.

“When I started my first internship 14 years ago, I never imagined the diversity of possible trades for a cook,” he says. “I have achieved some of my goals – being a restaurant owner for 16 years, a cooking teacher and an adjudicator on culinary competitions – but I still have many things to see and accomplish. As a chef instructor, I enjoy passing on knowledge, working with good products and sharing a passion for food.”

Hospitality Group Training recruitment co-ordinator Grace Mulraney says most workers start out by completing an apprenticeship or traineeship. She says full or part-time work is available but work hours are rarely 9am to 5pm. “It’s definitely different to what your used to,” she says.

Starting wages can be low but there is the potential to earn a high income as the career progresses.

Salary cap
Hospitality: Chef, cook, wait staff, event/ function management, bar staff, food and beverage attendant, kitchenhand, gaming attendant, porter, concierge, customer
service, baristas, restaurant managers, cleaner.
Salary:
> Entry level $23,000
> Average $54,000
> Top end $120,000
Qualifications: Hospitality Group Training Certificate II and III in Hospitality (operations), Certficiate III in Hospitality (commercial cookery), Certficate III in Business (frontline management), Certificate IV in Business (frontline management). Pre vocation and online training also available.

Source: Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, mycareer.com.au