UNMAPPED FIELD root_ARCHIVEENTRY_METADATA_cci_tag_label = 'recruitment'
A lack of space and a shortage of potential future leaders will hinder the city's exhibition industry, the new head of the Convention and Exhibition Centre says.
Monica Lee-Muller, who has taken over from Cliff Wallace as the centre's managing director after working there for 18 years, said one challenge for the organisation was a high staff turnover, with many young employees leaving after two or three years, creating a gap between management and mid-level staff. 'Some quit their jobs telling us they are going on a trip, or that they can't stand the pressure. Others said they needed a rest after two years of work,' Lee-M?ller said, adding that turnover was particularly high among event managers.
There is work for about 930 people at the centre, though some of the positions are vacant. Lee-Muller hopes to expand the staff to 1,000 in the next few years.
'Young people now need recognition. It's not always about the salary,' she said. 'We don't have a problem in recruitment, but it's difficult to retain them.'
She hopes future recruits will carry on the traditions of the centre. Despite the concerns about turnover, 41 per cent of the employees have worked at the venue for more than a decade.