Companies interview prospective employees at the Hospitality Job Fair in HCM City that opened on Thursday. — Photo courtesy of the organiser

HCM CITY — Thirty-five companies offer 2,500 jobs to students and other young people at the Hospitality Job Fair that opened on Thursday (May 23) in HCM City.

The annual event, organised by Chefjob.vn and Á Âu Vocational Guidance School, linked employers in the hospitality and food and beverage industries with 1,500 job seekers.

Besides job interviews, the fair also featured workshops where hospitality specialists will talk about careers and filling out job applications.

The candidates had the opportunity to meet and network with recruiters from top companies to gain career and industry insights.

Training units supplying human resources for the fair included Á Âu Vocational Guidance School, CET – College of Economics & Tourism, Hoa Sen University, University of Economics and Finance, HCM City University of Culture, Tôn Đức Thắng University, FPT Polytechnic, Industrial University, College Of Foreign Economic Relation, Thủ Đức College of Technology, and University of Foreign Languages – Information Technology.

The hospitality industry faces a severe shortage of workers, especially at the senior level, Tạ Quang Tùng, general director of Hướng Nghiệp Á Âu JSC, said.

The prolonged shortage of labour is due to a lack of career or vocational guidance and orientation, he said.

Every year, the industry needs 40,000 workers, but the demand remains largely unfulfilled with supply at a mere 15,000.

Tống Thị Nhị Hà, human resources director of New World Saigon Hotel, said that apart from professional capacity, hospitality staff should focus on soft skills such as foreign languages, communication skills, and ability to handle situations since these are determining factors in success. — VNS