Hospitality Weca mayor launches new free ‘dating agency for jobs’
WEST of England job seekers will now be able to discover the numerous rewarding opportunities across the region’s hospitality sector in seconds, thanks to a new website launched by Metro Mayor Dan Norris.
Jobs Connect is free to use and will signpost local people to jobs with top hospitality and tourism employers in the region.
People looking to find jobs can create and upload a digital CV that will then be shared with local recruiters. Job seekers can also search and apply for positions and test their skills through online games. Businesses can use the platform to list current vacancies.
The platform was commissioned by the West of England Combined Authority, led by the Metro Mayor, and built by Bath-based software company Cognisess.
Jobs Connect was officially launched at The Salamander pub in Bath this week by Mr Norris who highlighted just how many job opportunities there are at the region’s pubs, restaurants, hotels and tourist attractions.
The West of England Combined Authority is also partnering with the Post’s sister website Bristol Live to celebrate some of the city’s bestloved hospitality businesses and their hardworking staff members. Look out for more details in April.
We spoke to Alex Black, general manager at Thekla, as part of the Moments Maker campaign, showcasing leading ‘hospitality careerists’ from our region talking candidly about their career path and why hospitality is such a rewarding and varied career choice for the long-term.
He said: “My life is all about music. So, when I come in to do my job I am just being myself. I don’t have to put on a face as people do at other corporate offices.
“Working in Thekla, there is no typical day.
“My role is probably 50/50 between event management and business management. So a lot of the operational work takes place in my office and the rest is running events. I get involved with stock control, operational planning, financial forecasting and promotional work, so there’s quite a wide breadth to my role.”
Ahead of the Jobs Connect launch, Mr Norris met Salamander’s director James King who said it has been tough to fill vacancies at his pub since the pandemic and Brexit. Latest ONS figures show an incredible 675% rise in hospitality vacancies compared to last year.
Mr Norris said: “Jobs Connect is a bit like a dating agency for jobs. Job seekers and businesses upload their profiles and the website plays matchmaker. Individuals can do personality tests to figure out their compatibility, and there are top tips to make sure you stand out from the crowd.
“By launching Jobs Connect, I hope to make it easier for people to access the varied roles that this vibrant industry offers. I also want to
❝ Hospitality doesn’t mean a temporary solution of waiting tables to see you through; it can be a varied, high-skilled, career for life Metro Mayor Dan Norris
change perceptions. Hospitality doesn’t mean a temporary solution of waiting tables to see you through; it can be a varied, high-skilled, career for life.”
Speaking about the visit, Mr King said: “As a hospitality careerist, from bartender to chef to management to business owner, I have felt the struggles of recruitment within the industry from all angles.
“This is especially the case after Brexit and a pandemic, with so many staff heading home to Europe.
“The impact on hospitality frontline workers, having to push harder to cover the staff shortfall and the difficulties for management and owners to fill those gaps, has been great.
“Jobs Connect aims to bring together the right staff for the right businesses with the addition that staff can test their skillset, helping point them towards jobs best suited to them.”
The launch of Jobs Connect will be supported by a West of England Combined Authority campaign celebrating people who have developed a career in hospitality in the region.