Employment providers and opportunities

Establishments within the hospitality and catering sectors all provide emplyment for the community they are in. The compny may also buy local produce for the meals and services that they provide. It is beneficial to the local community if the establishment buys local produce and uses local services. Hospitality establishments may include information about locally grown or reared produce on their menus to encourage customers to buy them.

Full time staff- have permanent jobs all year round in the establishment. They should have a contract with their terms of employment set out in writing. They could work shifts tht change depending on how busy the establishment is. They often work a set amount of days over a seven day period including weekends.

Part-time staff- may work on set days of the week and have set shifts. They may be employed permanently but do fewer hours of work than full-time staff, often working at the busier times of the day.

Casual staff-work for specific functions and are often employed through an agency. They do not have a contract or set hours to work, but are called in at busier times of the year e.g. christmas. Often casual staff work for the same establishment each year because they know how their way round and how the company works. However some don't know until a week before in some cases.

There are many career paths within the Hospitality and Catering industry and a range of jobs can be found in the different sectors. Most people who go into the Hospitality and Catering industry are able to work their way up to the position that they want. Larger establishments offer the opportunity to work in a range of areas and provide training on the job. The advantage of this is that you can learn and earn at the same time; e,g. going to college and having a day release on the job. Working in the H&C industry gives you the opportunity to travel if you want to so jobs are often available locally, nationally and internationally.