Last October NSW Premier Perrottet’s reopening of the state of NSW was met with celebration. As we emerged double vaccinated to ‘live with Covid’ we all anticipated getting back to normalcy, however, the hospitality industry is still cocooned waiting to fully emerge from the impact of multiple lockdowns.

Late last year Navarra launched an innovative ‘Train to Retain’ certified course, where participants were offered the opportunity to engage in a minimum of 40 hours formal work experience in situ at Montage (Le Montage), Conca D’oro, Oatlands House and Curzon Hall. The aim was to work at live events with the Navarra team of specialist event coordinators, with guaranteed work at the conclusion of training. This initiative was conceived by Navarra with RTO AD1 College, including a combined theoretical and practical component.

The uptake was much less than anticipated.

“As we learn to live with Covid, Sydney has the potential to revolutionise and reinvent itself as a service icon in the global context when it comes to hospitality. We have a magnificent harbour with some spectacular venues”

“We need to invite Fair Work and the Inner West local council to review unnecessary red tape policies to ensure we can reignite passion for working in the hospitality industry” said Senior Managing Partner Giovannino Navarra.

Like every industry, the hospitality industry is experiencing an unprecedented staff shortage for our times. We are heavily reliant upon foreign workers and need to make hospitality an appealing option for locals to take up unfilled positions in hospitality. Looking at Facebook noticeboards such as the Sydney Chef Exchange, it is obvious that the problem of filling a range of hospitality jobs is rampant. People are available for work, we just need Federal and State governments to ensure that hospitality is seen as an attractive option which would further reduce the unemployment rates in NSW and the nation.

“State Liberal leader Dominic Perottet has successfully reopened the state and has a brilliant opportunity to ensure hospitality takes flight again, by incentivising jobs in the hospitality industry. He has made a great start but so much more needs to be done especially for the wedding industry which suffered the most” said Giovannino Navarra.

“Ensuring there are incentives for waitstaff, chefs, supervisors and managers to enter and be retained in the profession will go a long way to beginning a golden age in hospitality service in Sydney”

Navarra is one of Australia’s leading events and hospitality operators with over 47 years of events and hospitality experience and successfully hosting more than 200,000 events. Family operated, Navarra offer weddings, formal, corporate, and casual dining experiences, including cafes and bars across the wider Sydney area.

Navarra locations include Montage (Le Montage), Conca D’oro, Oatlands House, Curzon Hall, CBD Collection, and Eschol Park Manor.