ANZSCO 3513-11 South Australia

ChefDecember 2017

Labour Economics Office South Australia

Department of Jobs and Small Business

Current labour market ratingNo Shortage

Previous labour market rating (December 2016)No Shortage

Comments

Consistent with survey findings in the previous two years, in 2017 most employers were able to attract qualified and suitable applicants to vacancies.

Survey results

  • Surveyed employers were either in hotels restaurants or cafes in metropolitan and regional areas. Kitchen sizes varied with from as little as two to ten staff. Some employers added casual chefs to staff numbers if absences or busy periods arose.
  • A Department of Jobs and Small Business Survey of Employers who have Recently Advertised for chefs found that 78 per cent of vacancies were filled, consistent with results in December 2016 (80 per cent) and 2015 (78 per cent).
  • On average, there were 26.2 applicants per vacancy compared with 19 applicants per vacancy in 2016.
  • Employers reported attracting an average of 1.7 suitable applicants per vacancy compared with 2.6 suitable applicants per vacancy last year.
  • A range of chef occupations were surveyed including chef, head chef, chef de partie and sous chef.
  • Some contacts noted that it was difficult to obtain the right combination of attitude and skills.
  • In addition to formally advertised vacancies, some employers would utilise their own networks to identify chefs by word-of-mouth.
  • In general, regional employers encountered more difficulty filling vacancies due to reasons specifically related to local conditions, for example an employer’s proximity to a mining site and the difficulty competing with mining remuneration.
  • Overall, employers were able to source suitable applicants to fill chef vacancies in a variety of kitchen settings and locations.

Unsuitable applicants

  • All surveyed employers were seeking trade qualified chefs, i.e. chefs who had completed a four-year contract of training and graduated with a Certificate III in commercial cookery.
  • While the advertised vacancies attracted many applications, around 94 per cent were rejected by employers as unsuitable.
  • One of the main reasons for unsuitability was a lack of trade qualifications. All employers surveyed stipulated that a trade qualification was mandatory, yet almost 70 per cent of applicants were identified as unqualified.
  • Many qualified applicants were also considered unsuitable because they lacked sufficient work experience (e.g. had only recently completed trade training) or lacked the type of experience that matched the employer’s requirements.
  • For example, employers offering buffet style eating, catering large functions, or producing refined a la carte food required chefs with experience operating in similar environments.
  • Head chef positions required experience in all facets of back-of-house operations including managing kitchen staff, meeting budgets, stock control, menu writing and costing and negotiating with suppliers.
  • Other reasons included failure to attend job interview, poorly written applications, patchy work history or living too far away from location of employment.

Demand and supply trends

  • Eighty five per cent of chefs are employed in the accommodation and food services industry[1].
  • The number of South Australian businesses in the cafes and restaurants industry class increased from 2062 in June 2015 to 2196 in June 2016[2]. Over the same period a slight decrease was recorded in the number of clubs (hospitality - 218 to 217) and pubs, taverns and bars (633 to 628).
  • In the year to June 2016 there was a 4.6 per cent increase in the total number of clubs, hotels and restaurants holding current liquor licences in South Australia.[3] This compares with a 2.7 per cent increase that occurred in the year to June 2015.[4]
  • South Australian retail turnover (in trend terms) in the cafes, restaurants and catering services industry subgroup grew by around10 per cent in the year to August 2017.[5]
  • Turnover of chefs is high and remains a major demand determinant.
  • South Australian internet advertised vacancies for chefs decreased moderately in 2016-17.[6]
  • According to ABS 2011 Census data, around 75 per cent of chefs hold a Certificate III or higher qualification, indicating a high reliance on formal training as a source of occupational supply.
  • Contracts of training data show the number of apprentices completing a commercial cookery apprenticeship increased in 2017 after falling in 2016 to their lowest levels since 2007.[7] Completion numbers remain slightly below the five-year average.
  • Apprenticeship commencements have decreased for two successive years including a reduction by approximately a quarter in 2017. With commencements well below the five-year average in 2017, there is likely to be a decrease in completions in the future.

Labour Economics Office South Australia

Department of Jobs and Small Business

[1] ABS, Census of Population and Housing, 2011

[2] ABS, Counts of Australian Businesses, including Entries and Exits, Jun 2011 to Jun 2016, ABS Cat. No. 8165.0

[3] SA Government, Consumer and Business Services, Annual Report, 2015-16

[4] SA Government, Consumer and Business Services, Annual Report, 2014-15

[5] ABS, Retail Trade, Cat. No. 8501.0

[6]Department of Jobs and Small Business, Internet Vacancy Index, July 2017

[7]NCVER, Apprentices and Trainees, March 2017, estimates