Local businesses ‘crying out for skills’

LOCAL business sectors are experiencing a skills shortage and struggling to fill positions, particularly in hospitality, engineering and delivery/ HGV driving, according to Omagh Chamber of Commerce.

Bronagh Gormley, business development officer for the local chamber, which represents a range of different industries, said the majority of sectors are “crying out for skills.”

“The chamber has been aware that there has been a skills shortage for the last number of years particularly in the STEM area – science, technology, engineering and manufacturing,” she said.

Ms Gormley explained that the chamber has been working closely with South West College to identify the sectors that are experiencing a shortage and to try and develop courses in and around certain skills in order to tackle the problem.

However, she believes that the skills shortage in hospitality is due to a low uptake in young people wanting to go into the sector.

Ms Gormley said, “There is this perception that once you go into hospitality it is going to be long, unsociable hours, so there’s a bit of work that needs to be done in order to try and entice people to work in the sector.”

“Also, many people sought out alternative employment when pubs, clubs and restaurants closed during the pandemic.

“The uncertainty of the sector closing again in the future isn’t helping either.”

Keely Phillips, regional director of MPA Recruitment in Omagh, which recruits across various sectors, said, “We are experiencing a skills shortage across all sectors and the pandemic has definitely had an impact.

“Hospitality staff seem to have disappeared into thin air. During the Christmas period we had a lot of clients contacting us as they weren’t able to recruit themselves… and we weren’t able to get them skilled staff such as experienced waiters and waitresses.”

Ms Phillips also stated that the healthcare sector is currently experiencing a shortage of staff, particularly nurses.

The Western Health and Social Care Trust recently posted on their Facebook page urgent staff appeals for staff nurses, nursing and care assistants, support services staff and housekeepers.

Last week, they said, “Our services at Altnagelvin and South West Acute Hospitals remain extremely challenged.

“We are urgently appealing for any staff, registered or unregistered, based anywhere across the Trust who are free to come in and help out at this time.”

By Rebecca McGirr