Now is a good time to be looking for work in the hospitality industry, according to Ines Montoya, business-community liaison with WorkBC in Langley.
“Employers are dying for people,” Montoya told the Langley Advance Times.”
Montoya was interviewed at the first hospitality-industry-focused career fair at Langley’s Walnut Grove Secondary School (WGSS), which is known for the high calibre of its culinary arts program.
Held on Wednesday, April 20, the event, co-organized by WorkBC and the school district, was a way of letting businesses know about the WGSS course, said Montoya.
‘People don’t know how good the program is,” Montoya enthused.
“We have amazing talent coming up.”
Cherise McGee, career advisor at Walnut Grove, was pleased with the response by employers and students, calling the turnout “fantastic.”
“Its just our way of connecting students, to people who are looking to hire students,” Mcgee remarked.
Thanks to their relationship with the Vancouver Community College culinary arts program that trains professional chefs, Walnut Grove students can graduate with their Chef’s professional level one, a solid foundation of essential skills.
Kalli Cartwright, VCC operations manager, explained the Langley school operates as a “satellite campus” of the VCC culinary arts program, and predicted grads will have little trouble finding jobs.
“There’s a lot of work out there,” Cartright noted.
Walnut Grove student Matt Vandas started at White Spot as a dishwasher at 13.
Now, the 17-year-old Grade 12 student works at Beatniks Bistro in Fort Langley.
“I kind of like the adrenaline, the fast-moving pace of getting food out,” Vandas commented.
He rarely has time to cook at home, but when he does, he favours beef teriyaki or seafood linguine.
“I love a good scallop,” Vandas said.
Vandas was helping to interview potential hires for Beatniks at the career fair.
“We’re looking at experience and interests,” he said.
A willingness to work hard is essential, he indicated.
“It’s a very hard job. It’s really hard on your body [and] mentally. You’re always working.”
READ ALSO: Beatniks Bistro donates $4,000 to Langley School District Foundation
Beatniks owner Angela Hazelton said she was “hoping to find some keen students who are looking to get into the industry for the first time.”
“It’s an industry where you can quickly move up,” Hazelton added, one that is beginning to add staff as the pandemic, and associated restrictions, ease.
“It’s going to be a good recovery this year,” she predicted.
READ ALSO: Langley students lead recently launched restaurant
The list of companies looking to hire at the career fair included the Sandman chain of hotels, White Spot, Langley Events Centre, Red Robin, Langley’s Trading Post Brewing Company and Cactus Club.
Evan Verchere-Glover, senior sous-chef at the Langley Cactus Club, said they were looking for “new talent, for people to join the team.”
“I’ve had 22 years in the industry, and I love it,” Verchere-Glover declared.
Is there more to the story? Email: dan.ferguson@langleyadvancetimes.com
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