Bathurst RSL and Panthers general managers optimistic about filling roles

According to a report released by the Regional Australia Institute, the number of job vacancies in Bathurst increased by 20.1 per cent, with employers finding it difficult to secure staff.

However, things could be turning around, with Panthers Bathurst general manager John Fearnley and Bathurst RSL Club general manager Peter Sargent both starting to see more resumes coming in.

While numbers are still down compared to before COVID, Mr Fearnley said Panthers Bathurst is starting to see staff numbers increase now that university students are returning to Bathurst.

"We employed around 80 here before COVID, we've got that number back now to about 67, so we're still behind with that," he said.

ALSO MAKING NEWS:

"I've been here 27 years and [now's] probably been the hardest time to get staff. Five years ago there used to be 30 or 40 references on that desk each week looking for part-time work.

"That's why I'm really pleased that in the last month or two we've had applications come in with uni coming back."

Mr Fearnley said one contributing factor to the current staff shortages is the rental market, especially when it comes to securing management staff.

With finding qualified staff - like chefs - in Bathurst being very difficult, the only other option is attracting people who want to relocate.

However, this isn't possible when they can't find anywhere to live.

"What we're finding is, it's hard to get management staff because the challenge is getting a rental in Bathurst at the moment," Mr Fearnley said.

"The other thing is, because the rental market is really hard, a lot of our staff who are casuals want to get moved to permanent-part-time, because they've got security to get their rentals."

Bathurst RSL has also seen a recent increase in job applications, with general manager Peter Sargent optimistic that this year will continue to improve.

While the past three years have been unprecedented times for all businesses, including hospitality, it left people questioning what career path would provide them with more security.

Mr Sargent said they have had a lot of staff move into the disability sector, but with university resuming the RSL is starting to fill some of those vacant spots.

"Just as we've come into February, we've had more applicants and more interest, and probably in the last week we've put on six people," he said.

"The biggest issues we face is the amount of people who have moved into NDIS, we've seen a lot of people move from hospitality into the NDIS sector. Which is understandable, people are looking for more flexibility and rates of pay.

"So we've had to become more flexible and we're offering better conditions to people to make sure we're attracting the right staff."

In addition to uni students returning, Mr Sargent said he also thinks the rise in interest rates will lead to more people looking for a second job, which is leaving him optimistic for the year ahead in terms of filling staffing roles.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content: