Restaurant & Catering Australia (R&CA) today applauded the Morrison Government’s announcement to list chefs on the Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List (PMSOL) as a move that would turbocharge the recovery of tens of thousands of hospitality businesses across the country who were suffering through a crippling skills crisis.

R&CA National President Con Castrisos OAM and CEO Wes Lambert jointly welcomed the announcement by Immigration Minister Alex Hawke, stating that it would help restaurants, cafes and caterers combat the crippling lack of qualified chefs available due to the impact of the COVID pandemic on migration.

“These skilled migrants are a critical part of thousands of hospitality business across the country, keeping businesses open for longer hours and keeping dozens of Australian workers in jobs. They also play a critical role in training the next generation of Australian chefs in cuisines from all around the world”, Mr Castrisos OAM said.

“Across our country, from Port Douglas to Hobart, from Perth to Sydney and everywhere in between, restaurants, cafes and catering businesses have been crying out for greater access to skilled migrants to help them recover from the COVID pandemic—this change answers that call”, Mr Castrisos OAM said.

R&CA CEO Wes Lambert said the move comes after the Joint Standing Committee on Migration’s Interim Report into Skilled Migration in Australia recommended Chef & Restaurant/Café Manager be added to the PMSOL.

“R&CA had been strongly advocating for these changes both to the Morrison Government and to the Joint Standing Committee. These changes will help businesses across our sector access the skills they need to grow their business and employ more Australians”, Mr Lambert said.