RWC workers must pay to train

Photo / Richard Robinson

If you want to be among the thousands of staff hired to cater to Rugby
World Cup fans, first you are going to have to pay. And even then you may not get the job.

According to the Hospitality Institute, more than 10,000 people will be
needed to work to ensure Rugby World Cup fans don't go hungry or thirsty at any of the 48 games.

However, workers will need to hold an Event Star NZ certificate from
the Hospitality Standards Institute (HSI),anew qualification created as a result of this year's World Cup. The government-funded organisation's
board members include catering business owners.

According to the HSI website, for $110 you can be trained to create
"consistent, positive, uniquely New Zealand customer experiences".

HSI national clients manager Kath Williams says people already working
in the hospitality industry should obtain the new qualification if they
want to work at match venues.

Shona Greer, managing director of Providore, an agency that supplies
temporary staff to the hospitality industry, says few clients are booking staff in advance of the cup and one reason is because of the Event Star qualification.

"It is quite difficult for temp agencies because everybody working
in the stadiums has to have this little qualification and that is becoming quite a problem," says Greer. "Temp staff are going to have to pay to get this qualification and, at the moment, everyone is reluctant because there is no guarantee they will be required to
work.

"Anyone wanting to work in the stadiums during the cup will have to
have an Event Star qualification. Trouble is, employers aren't saying
how many temp staff they need, so few people are thinking of getting
qualified. Temp staff will have to pay for it themselves or will simply work in restaurants, hotels and places that don't require the qualification."

Greer says agencies are reluctant to pay to put staff through the course
only to find they are not needed to work in the stadiums.

Williams says 85 per cent of catering and hospitality staff working at
Rugby World Cup venues will need the Event Star certificate - even
though it is not linked to any formal national qualification.

It also appears arbitrary on whom will be among the 15 per cent not
needing the qualification. People can go to training institutes to get the qualification while some will be trained on site with their employer.

Williams says the cost to employers to hand out the certificate
and official Event Star badge is $30 - although people going to private
training providers will be charged between $110 and $200 (depending
on which course they choose to do).

"It is very specific and includes induction around the World Cup and
what that means, and the customer service that is going to be required.

"While there will be people who have worked in the industry for a long
time, and have this knowledge, there will be a lot who haven't and it is a bit of a refresher for those who do. There is a module for retail that will help people serving beer and chips, and there's a module to help people who are working in the corporate box and pre-match functions."

Williams rejects suggestions that the current crop of hospitality staff is not up to the job.

"It's not that at all," she says.

"There will be plenty of people who want to work in stadiums who have
had no previous experience-we can train them to pour a beer and serve a
pie. It will ensure everyone is working in a consistent way. It is all part of Rugby World Cup's aim to put on a great event."

Williams says there is no guarantee that people with an Event Star certificate will get work and that temp agencies should be building relationships with their local catering firms who may be able to offer training.

Despite the push for extra training, a report prepared for Rugby New
Zealand 2011 and the Hospitality Standards Institute found managers
in leading catering firms have taken "exception to the view that quality standards would need to be significantly higher than seen in New
Zealand previously".

Steve Hart is a freelance reporter.
SteveHart.co.nz