In a bid to address labour shortages in the hospitality industry during the peak season, the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association has asked all major public institutions to present proposals for solutions to be identified.
The MHRA is keen to address the problem immediately given its direct impact on the success of Malta’s tourism product.
At a meeting at the Intercontinental hotel in St George’s Bay, MHRA chief executive officer George Schembri said that as labour costs constituted the largest operational cost for operators in tourism, management needed to plan its staff requirements well. They also had to ensure staff was well trained to contribute positively to the business’ operation.
“This is the time to start planning training needs, plan extra staff requirements and plan recruitment,” he told the participants. “A number of local institutions can help operators within the hospitality industry with these needs, and this is the main reason for joining forces to identify the best way forward for all stakeholders.”
Mr Schembri encouraged operators to follow up on the initiatives of the various institutions to prepare for the challenging summer and ensure that the best service was given to guests and patrons.
Adrian Mamo, the newly appointed director of the Institute of Tourism Studies, outlined the ITS’ Career Awareness Initiatives, which includes the food service and housekeeping pre-employment schemes and summer placements.
The Malta Tourism Authority’s quality and human resources development’s Andre Arciola highlighted the MTA’s Career Awareness initiatives that include the Choice programmes, held in collaboration with ITS. They jointly reach 50 schools with some 4,000 students.
Employment and Training Corporation officials Nicola Cini and James Abela spoke about its Employment Services Division, and specifically about its Recruitment Services, EURES Malta and Employment and Exposure Schemes. The University’s director of the Institute of Tourism Studies and Culture, Nadia Theuma, and outlined the training and degree courses relevant to the tourism sector.