A consistent top-performer has been the food services industry, with the bulk of the work being done by cafés and restaurants (as opposed to bars and hotels). But why? Explaining that means taking a hard look at how Australians relate to work, and how the nature of our work is changing. Read on to learn more.

Automating our way out of a job

A key reason for the food services industry’s prominence is the falling need for actual people in other industries. Traditional big employers like agriculture, manufacturing and retail are simply getting too good at achieving their goals, taking advantage of the latest technology to produce more and better quality products with lower labour costs. These industries are all experiencing seismic change as automation and other technological advances allow them to achieve more with fewer worker hours than ever before. The food services industry doesn’t have quite the level of automation as these other business – even if you’re taking orders on a wireless system hooked up to an iPad, you still need people to punch in the orders and cook them – and so has been pushed to the front in terms of labour demands.

There’s no replacement for fabulous service

Additionally, there’s actually pressure for many businesses in the food services industry not to automate. While automation is useful in low-cost, high-volume businesses such as fast food chains, the human touch is considered essential at pretty much every other kind of food and beverage business. People like being able to talk to a real person about the specials of the day, or get some information about the local area from a knowledgeable bartender. Those little touches that only a person – not a pile of circuits – can provide are what can turn a three-star meal into a five-star dining experience. If you’re looking to enter the food services industry with a splash or want to advance your career, speak to the team at Skills Certified today and have your past experienced recognised with a brand-new qualification.