Addressing Skills Shortages and Hard-to-Fill Vacancies in the Hospitality Sector by Creating Job Opportunities for Youth - Case Study of Red Sea Resort Hotels

This paper aims to identify the skills shortages and the hard-to-fill vacancies in the Red Sea resort hotels. The study highlights the issues that create a mismatch between the abundant jobs available for young people throughout the hospitality sector, and youth awareness of those jobs and their readiness for them. It also identifies the barriers that constrain new applicants, especially youth, from accessing relevant jobs. Data for this study was collected via a questionnaire survey with representatives from a convenience sample of 38 resort hotels in the Red Sea Governorate. Results revealed that the vast majority of hotels experienced difficulties in recruiting entry level staff, and they continue to suffer from staff shortage in some positions with stewards came at the top of the list, followed by housekeepers, kitchen staff, and then the restaurant service staff. The low wages offered are found to be the highest barrier for youth to get a job in the Red Sea resort hotels. This was followed by the youth’s poor attitude to work, youth’s poor customer-service skills, and the lack of relevant technical skills. After challenges in the skills shortages in the sector were clearly identified, the study proposes some recommendations for hospitality employers to attract, recruit, employ and retain labor especially from youth through the inclusion of youth development programs into their human resource activities.