NSW Nationals: Free hospitality courses to kickstart careers

A suite of fee-free short courses are now available for people looking to secure jobs or further their career in hospitality, as part of a new NSW Government program which aims to supercharge the sector and grow the economy.

The Kickstart Your Career in Hospitality program aims to alleviate labour shortages that are hampering the industry and provide pathways for people looking for rewarding and well-paid careers.

Whether you want to be a barista or a bartender, this initiative will enable you to train for free and get the skills you need for a job in a local pub, club, café or restaurant.

A strong hospitality sector is absolutely critical for NSW – now and into the future. This program draws on the NSW Government’s record skills budget and will help secure a brighter future for the hospitality industry and all those who depend on it.

Nationals Minister for Hospitality and Racing Kevin Anderson said the NSW Government is continuing to work with industry to address crippling labour shortages, but also foster career progression and retention through scalable upskilling opportunities.

“These fee-free courses are designed to be short and quick, but also scalable so staff take up additional training opportunities, to develop further skills over time, as they desire,” Mr Anderson said.

“The program has been developed in partnership with the industry, to provide job relevant training and career development at pubs, clubs and restaurants across NSW.

“We also want participants to realise that there is longevity in the hospitality sector. Staff are encouraged to make the most of additional training opportunities to further develop their skills, and turn a job into a long term career if they choose to.”

ClubsNSW CEO Josh Landis said the initiative offers incredible opportunities for professional growth and development in the hospitality sector, particularly in clubs across the state.

“Someone who gets their first job in a club can go on to do amazing things. Clubs offer careers in cooking, hotel management, customer service, business operations and much more,” Mr Landis said.

“These aren’t just fee-free short courses, they could be your first step on a hugely successful and satisfying career journey, and we want clubs to be the catalyst for that journey.”

AHA NSW CEO John Whelan welcomed the announcement which will help the hospitality sector deal with staffing issues.

“This is a fantastic initiative by Minister Anderson and the NSW Government – it’s another positive step that will help us get through this jobs crisis,” Mr Whelan said.

“The hospitality sector right across NSW was already dealing with staff shortages before the pandemic hit our shores in 2020 – that situation has only gone from bad to worse.

“All across NSW there are signs up in hotels for extra staff – unfortunately some pubs have been forced to close restaurants on certain days because they simply don’t have cooks, chefs or other key staff.”

More information about eligibility criteria and enrolments is available at https://skills.education.nsw.gov.au/initiatives/hospitality-skills