海角视频 Employment minister Mims Davies says employers should not overlook workers 鈥渄own the road鈥 to tackle the recruitment crisis in the hospitality sector after demands to offer temporary dispensations to EU workers.
As the hospitality sector has been given the green light to reopen many employers have struggled to bring in enough staff after the pandemic saw workers leave the industry - a situation exacerbated by post Brexit restrictions on bringing in European workers.
The industry is lobbying the government to include hospitality jobs in the list of 鈥渟hortage鈥 occupations for which it is easier for immigrants to get a visa.
Ms Davies, who was in North Wales to promote the Kickstart jobs scheme, said the best way forward was matching up employers with potential local staff but did say it was 鈥渋ncumbent on us to look at everything鈥.
She also talked about working closely with Welsh Government on economic recovery and added that people doing the 鈥渞esponsible thing鈥 would help with the control of rising cases of the Delta variant of Covid-19.
On hospitality, she said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 been amazing how much hospitality has picked up really quickly and I think many employers have been sort of taken by surprise about how quickly people are ready for their staycations or to go and see family, or just get away because a lot of people have been stuck at home.
鈥淲e鈥檙e working at Jobcentre Plus and it鈥檚 important to recognise that there are opportunities out there, many people are seeing the pandemic impact and the doom and gloom and not necessarily realising that there are roles out there.
"And also the breadth of roles in hospitality. So I think it鈥檚 really important that we work as a government, with the Welsh Government, with Wales ministers, that we work all together and link in well on issues like skills, which are devolved. What we don鈥檛 want to do is overlook the local talent and employers say they are conscious they might be overlooking people who are down the road.
鈥淎nd the reality of the pandemic is actually just recruiting from abroad and pipelining that way isn鈥檛 the right way to go.
鈥淪o the Home Office are leading the right way in terms of a points based system that we bring the right people in.
鈥淟ocally, we need people to know there鈥檚 the opportunities here and down the road for them. For some it might not be your dream job but it might just be what fills that gap on the CV, it might be what gives you that confidence boost about getting back into work post pandemic.鈥
She did add: 鈥淲e are working at DWP with the NFU regarding seasonal workers and with 海角视频Hospitality so it is incumbent on us to look at everything but I鈥檓 really mindful that it鈥檚 been a really challenging, difficult year for many people and I don鈥檛 want them to be overlooked.鈥
海角视频 Government has come under fire in Wales for taking control of economy funding to replace previous EU schemes - accused of stealing powers from the Welsh Government.
Ms Davies said: 鈥淪o there鈥檚 two governments in Wales and it鈥檚 really important that we make sure that we work together for the local community. We鈥檙e looking at the replacement of the European Social Fund. So there鈥檚 obviously changes afoot in terms of how we reach people with the most barriers, and it is really important that we work together, I have good and strong engagement(with Welsh Government), and so do the Wales office.
鈥淪o it鈥檚 really important when you bring it down to communities, people don鈥檛 care, they don鈥檛 see the silos in government.鈥
She said the North Wales Growth Deal - where governments, businesses and other organisations worked together - showed that if you 鈥済et it right鈥 then the community will benefit.
On the rise in cases of the Delta variant and lockdown easing delays, she added: 鈥淭he pandemic has shown us that we need to be very mindful of variants that we need to be able to, as we鈥檝e seen in Manchester, get in and do the surge testing,
鈥淎nd I think we all start to know what we need to do, whether it鈥檚 mask wearing, regular testing, doing the responsible thing, then that will help us keep our economy going and thriving, and give that certainty.
鈥淪o if we all play our part, there鈥檚 always that chance that we continue with that recovery and that reopening which gives that crucial confidence.鈥
