PRESS RELEASE: Hospitality Traineeship Program fosters new wave of industry experts in struggling sector

Adelaide, SA. April 12th, 2023 — Maxima Group has announced the launch of the next round of its specialised Hospitality Traineeships, aimed at providing training and career path progression for Adelaide-based jobseekers and boosting the hospitality workforce following the effects of COVID-19 on the industry.
Maxima’s Hospitality Traineeship program provides trainees with a nationally recognised certificate in hospitality in conjunction with some of South Australia’s most prestigious and renowned hospitality venues, and increasing the chances of trainees finding industry employment, all while earning industry wages and with no study debt.
“The importance of the traineeships is to gain industry experience whilst working on the job and getting the qualification they need,” said Maxima Hospitality Traineeship Consultant Daniel Foster. “You get to learn from skilled workers who have been in the industry for over 10 years. This is a huge advantage and can lead to better success in the hospitality industry.”
“Around 98% of trainees gain ongoing employment with either the same Host they completed their traineeship with or another venue in the same industry.”
An August 2021 South Australian Tourism Commission ‘Tourism and Hospitality Workforce Survey Report’ showed since the onset of COVID-19, Hospitality businesses have been struggling with qualified staff attainment and retention.
• A majority (55%) of South Australian tourism and hospitality businesses are short of staff.
• 43% of businesses are restricting their operations in some manner due to staff shortages, most typically by reducing the frequency of experiences or services offered, or by reducing opening times.
• Nearly 7 in 10 hiring tourism and hospitality businesses (68%) surveyed are having challenges with recruitment.
• Almost 6 in 10 businesses (58%) responded they were facing a lack of appropriate skills, qualifications or experience.
Peter Catlin, On-Premise Manager for the Hurley Hotel Group said that traineeships bring stability and longer-term career commitment to the hospitality industry.
“Well-structured hospitality traineeships allow candidates to learn from all areas of large hotels, food service, bar service, functions, retail, and accommodation. This allows the employee to learn various information and see where their skills and interests are best suited,” he said.
“Working with Maxima allows us to focus on the personal development of our team while they gain a qualification that assists their future progression.”
Maxima Graduate and current Functions Manager at the Arkaba Hotel Ella Whiteway considered herself lucky to be able to land such an excellent opportunity in the industry she had worked in her whole life.
“I saw the traineeship as a paid experience where I learn on the job. As a causal I wouldn’t have as much experience in as many areas as I did,” Ella said.
“The traineeship brought on lots of life experience, I learned so much so quickly, I had to absorb so much info and on-the-job learning – it was fantastic to put it all in place.”
“Getting paid during the traineeship was massive. It allowed me to train and learn new things while still making a living, it was the whole reason I went down this path.”
Maxima Graduate and current Assistant Manager at the Arkaba Hotel, Jaime Kelly Setterberg worked his way up the ranks from Bar Supervisor after showing his ambition and commitment.
“I felt like I still needed that extra piece of paper, my certificate, to help me get through. A lot of places wanted the experience. The traineeship allowed you to be green but still learn everything you needed to learn. You get the piece of paper, you also come out with the experience,” Jaime said.
“I strongly recommend doing it, the traineeship works. It’s not just the paper, I came out of it with so much more – I’m an advocate.”