Hospitality owners urged to recruit ex retail workers

Business owners in the hospitality sector have been urged to look to those who have recently lost their jobs in retail to fill vacancies as the lockdown eases.

Hospitality Ulster, the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium and the NI Jobs & Benefits Office network have come together to highlight the employment opportunities and transferable skills that former retail staff possess.

The organisations said hospitality owners and ex-retail staff should use the JobCentre Online (JCOL) digital platform to connect with each other.

Aodhán Connolly, Director of NI Retail Consortium said: “The pandemic has been very tough on the retail sector and has seen both small retailers and household names stumble, resulting in redundancies.

“Whilst there is still a bright future for many retail outlets, it is important that we work together to highlight employment opportunities for those who have regrettably lost their jobs in the retail industry due to the current crisis.

“The hospitality sector, with vacancies currently across all types of business, offers opportunities to those who have a range of transferable skills and know what excellent customer service looks like.”

Colin Neill, Chief Executive of Hospitality Ulster, added: “Like hospitality, the retail sector has had a turbulent time particularly over the last year. Regrettably, some businesses in both hospitality and retail have been forced to close.

And Ashley Russell-Cowan, Head of Employer Services Branch with the Department for Communities said: “The JCOL platform supports both the posting of vacancies and the submissions of available applicants to assist and match supply of workforce to meet the demands of the hospitality sector.

“It gives employers the opportunity to manage applications in a convenient manner while also allowing jobseekers to target their search for jobs in the sector they wish to work.”