By Spencer Sterritt

Cooks and staff in short supply for some Nanaimo hotels

Aug 9, 2017 | 4:17 PM

NANAIMO — Good work is becoming harder and harder to find for some Nanaimo hotels.

Dan Brady, president of the Nanaimo Hospitality Association, told NanaimoNewsNOW while not every hotel is struggling, those who aren’t fully-staffed all year are stuck in a difficult position.

“There is a shortage of the skilled, high-end quality people we’re looking for. There’s just not as many people coming out.”

Specifically, cooks, chefs and room attendants are needed positions with few to fill the role.

Brady said there’s many factors at play as to why these positions are going unfilled, from more career opportunities right out of high school or university, to less qualified staff on the market.

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“It’s hard to find those people that can keep up with the pressure, especially in the summer.”

Finding high-quality chefs has been difficult for some time, but Brady said labour shortages for other crucial positions like room attendants is an increasing challenge.

“It’s pretty physically demanding,” he said about the work room attendants have to do. “Envision doing 25 or 30 beds in a day and 15 or 20 bathrooms. It’s a demanding job, tiring and hard on the body, so I think that position is becoming a little bit less attractive.”

Thankfully, Brady said Nanaimo has been spared the serious woes affecting Victoria and Vancouver right now, since housing costs are lower.

“Staff just can’t afford to pay 1,500, 1,600 a month. We still have the accommodation available, but it’s getting tight.”

spencer@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @spencer_sterrit