When you consider the average restaurant and catering worker in South Africa, what comes to mind? Usually a 20-something-year-old waiter that’s not intent on working in hospitality forever, but who is trying to make ends somehow meet.

Ideally, I should find a statistic to back up the above claim but finding such statistics for the South African labour market at the moment is borderline impossible. This is perhaps due to the knock that our restaurant and catering industries have taken during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Instead, this blog will focus on the above perception – that hospitality is a young person’s domain.

Why Hiring Young People Makes Sense

For restaurant and catering managers, having a crew of young staff members that can easily stay on their feet the whole day means that you optimise the services that you are providing. Aside from the ability to handle the physical strain of the job, young people also tend to be able to fight off fatigue more easily, meaning they can handle the taxing work hours that the hospitality industry often requires.

But what can be said about the age of managers themselves?

There are various benefits to hiring young people for leadership positions: fresh perspectives, the ease with which they keep up with digital advancements, greater flexibility, and the overall vitality associated with youth. Younger people are also often considered a ‘blank slate’, allowing for a company to tailor their skills and experience to that company’s needs.

Overall, this means that having young people enter managerial positions works to a restaurant or catering business’ advantage. The cons presented by a lack of experience might just be outweighed by having fresh talent ready to take on the workforce with bright-eyed enthusiasm.

Break into the Hospitality Industry

If you want to establish yourself in the hospitality industry as a restaurant or catering manager, we offer you the ideal starting point. With astonishingly affordable rates and outstanding support staff, Oxbridge Academy offers you the opportunity to study both restaurant management and catering management from the comfort of your own home!

SO, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

Prepare for your restaurant or catering career today!