We were in Galway for the long weekend just passed and one thing struck me forcibly.
There were ‘help wanted’ posters or signs up in a tremendous number of service-based businesses. Bar staff, waiting staff, sous chefs, baristas, serving staff. The signs were everywhere.
And in the Esquires coffee shop in Eyre Square there is a sign on the door leading from the toilet stating the opening hours of the business and how they are determined by the difficulty in getting staff.
This business is open from 8 am to 3.30 pm so working anti social hours could not be an excuse for the difficulty of getting staff.
It is great to see in many ways for the west of Ireland has been blighted with emigration for a long time and forced young people to head to England and America to find jobs.
They won’t have to go far now, if they are prepared to work in the service industry. And, yes, I recognise that many young persons do not see a career in the service industry as a long term prospect.
But it is still great to see such opportunities for young, enthusiastic workers who want to get started in the workplace and get a bit of valuable experience under their belts.