WSTA launches new jobs board to help tackle record vacancies in the hospitality sector

NA | 21 July, 2022

With job vacancies in the hospitality, drinks retail and leisure sector at a record high the Wine and Spirit Trade Association is today launching a new jobs board.

One in ten jobs are reported to be unfilled in the sector following the pandemic leaving a staffing crisis in hospitality.

To help address the jobs gap the WSTA is this week launching a dedicated jobs section on its new and improved website, which will be open for members and non-members to advertise vacancies.

The WSTA revamped the page after hearing from members, nationwide, the full extent of the crippling job crisis.

The hospitality sector and its wine and spirit suppliers were undoubtedly one of the hardest hit by prolonged periods of lockdown during the pandemic.

The WSTA and its executive board is keen to do all it can to help bring in new workers and boost their skills. As well as expanding the jobs board the trade association’s monthly newsletter will also carry a special jobs section.

Miles Beale, Chief Executive of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association, said: 

“We are keen to do everything we can to help industry colleagues plug the gaps in the current staffing crisis.  Many of our members are struggling with recruiting the right people with the right skills. We hope our new jobs board will help spread the word of the rich and varied roles currently available.

The sector has taken a real bashing following the brutal lockdowns and in order for recovery to take root we need to do all we can to help build the drinks industry workforce back up to full strength.”

Kate Nicholls, Chief Executive of UK Hospitality, said:

“The jobs board initiative is a positive step towards a problem that is acutely stifling hospitality’s ability to pull out of the dreadful impacts that the pandemic wrought on our sector. As a sector that employs people in every village, town and city, hospitality is well placed to drive wider economic recovery, prosperity and growth. A huge barrier to achieving that is access to labour, so I warmly welcome the WSTA’s actions to help address a key challenge.”

Following an overhaul of the WSTA website one of the key new webpages will be the WSTA’s jobs board. Previously the jobs board was a member-only service however, with the urgent need to fill roles within the industry, non-members can now submit vacancies for a small fee.