PENTICTON — It’s a problem that’s been simmering in the province’s culinary landscape: there’s a looming shortage of trained chefs. Penticton restaurant owner Nick Vassilaki noticed a lack of available trained chefs when he opened up The Cellar nearly two years ago.
The province believes B.C.’s tourism industry will get burned unless action is taken. So it is spending more than $140,000 to find out how to attract more cooks and chefs.
“As part of the BC Jobs Plan, the tourism sector is experiencing tremendous growth and there’s no surprise that we need to attract more cooks and chefs. This study is one way we can ensure that B.C.’s labour force has what it needs in order to keep our economy growing.” says Shirley Bond, Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Minister Responsible for Labour in a press release.
At another Penticton restaurant, cooks at the Hooded Merganser are busy serving the lunch-time crowd.
The restaurant manager says unlike other businesses in the city, his has the benefit of the Lakeside Resort. Hotel guests help to keep this place bustling through most months of the year.
“Having a restaurant that is busy year round means we’re able to retain quality staff. Places that are seasonal probably have more issues than we do,” says Jamie Moore. “The challenge can be greater at places that need somebody qualified for 6-8 months, like wineries, like hotels and restaurants that aren’t as busy in the off season.”
The new provincial study aims to identify the skills required for cooks and chefs, and come up with ways to train, attract and retain them.
It will also look at issues related to wages, productivity and labour.
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