WITH lockdown easing and hospitality re-opening for business, one Dundee pub has made a successful foray into the recruitment market, with help from the local council.
Kilted Kangaroo was one of four local hospitality hot spots to take part in a recent Virtual Jobs Fair organised by Dundee City Council.
Sandy McGregor of the Roseangle-based bar and restaurant takes up the tale: “I really enjoyed the Virtual Jobs Fair as an alternative to being able to meet people in person.
“It was great to get all the questions from the people attending as it showed how interested they were in hospitality, and it allowed me as employer to get an understanding of these people too before any interview.
“The interactions were brilliant and I would definitely attend another event hosted by the Adult Employability Team.”
From the other side of the recruitment equation 27 year-old job seeker, Jaye Skea was also full of praise for the organising team and the virtual format.
Jaye, who lives in the Clepington Road area said: “I have never attended a jobs fair before, so I was really excited about attending.
“It was a fantastic opportunity to get to know employers, ask key questions and give myself an idea of the employers’ future plans.
“Thanks to the council’s adult employability team and their support I was able to get a new job that I love with the Kilted Kangaroo. They are amazing and have made me feel welcome and part of the team.”
Mark Flynn convener of Dundee City council’s city development committee said: “The purpose of the event was to support unemployed people getting back to work, particularly those interested in hospitality, as well as allowing local employers to present to those attending.
“Unemployed people living in Dundee were able to register with the service to attend the Jobs Fair and select time slots with the employers they wanted to speak with.
“Because this was the first time we’d tried something like this we kept it small but we had great feedback from employers and potential employees.”
As well Kilted Kangaroo, Kingsway Farm, Malmaison and Sleeperz Hotel were on hand to talk about their vacancies, a day in the life, career path and to open themselves up for questions.
Other job offers are in the pipeline and Kilted Kangaroo’s Sandy McGregor is planning to stay close to the council’s employability team.
He added: “They offer a great recruitment service, and do all the leg work for me, which saves a lot of hardship as recruitment takes time.
“We get access to applicants we wouldn’t normally notice and the team offer support for the person we hire, which is a great safety net as employer.
“Jaye is a great addition to the team and during this stressful period he’s been a breath of fresh air”
Dundee City Council
Dundee draws skilled workers from a 60-minute catchment population of 640,000 and has a local population of over 140,000. The availability of a large pool of highly skilled labour is a key feature in the Dundee economy. Flexibility in the labour force is currently more prevalent in Dundee than in Scotland as a whole. All forms of labour market flexibility - part-time, temporary employment, self-employment and shift work - are widely operational within the city. Labour force stability in the city is excellent, enabling companies to plan with confidence. Labour turnover levels are less than 5% and absenteeism averages 2%.
