Overseas students are secret ingredient

By FoodWeek Online

Restaurant & Catering Australia says that cookery students from overseas are vital to Australia's restaurant industry.

Restaurant & Catering Australia, the peak national association representing the interests of Australia's 40,000 restaurants, cafes and caterers, is concerned at claims that the number of cooks, allowed to study and then work in Australia, should be limited.

Peter Doyle, president of the Association said 'we need cooks - we have had a severe shortage since 1956 and still have a shortage today'. 'There has been no slow-down in the demand for cooks and we are not getting the interest from young people locally to meet the demand'.

Restaurant & Catering Australia estimates that there is still a shortage of some 3,000 cooks from the Australian workforce. Students studying cookery account for the equivalent of over 1,000 full time placements into the industry every year. Each student is required, at this stage, to work for 900 hours as part of the qualification.

John Hart, CEO of R&CA said that 'these students are an important part of our workforce - we have a demand for staff in the kitchen that is unmet and overseas students are filling that demand'.

'Overseas students studying in Australia are not only an important part of the workforce of industries such as the restaurant industry, they spend a lot in the industry too', Hart went on to say. 'International students spent $4.3 Billion on food, drink and accommodation in 2007-08 - This is a significant top up for the industry'.

In 2007 there were 7,378 overseas students studying cookery courses. Cookery students are required to undertake a work placement as part of their studies and must do so if they are looking to pursue migration to Australia.

The Australian restaurant industry in total employs 784,000 Australians which is 7.25% of the workforce. The industry is still growing (despite economic conditions) and still has significant skill shortages.