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SCMP Reporter

WITH a growing shortage of staff in Hongkong restaurants, two of the territory's leading restaurant chains, Cafe de Coral and Hopewell Food, are taking part in the on-the-job training (OJT) scheme.

 Mr John Chan, personnel manager of Hopewell Food, said that his company was taking part because of the shortage of labour.

  He said he was looking for between 50 and 100 waiters and waitresses.

  When he recently advertised for staff, he got a poor response.

  The lack of skills or experience of the new applicants would not worry him, he said.

    All the recruits would receive formal training before they were let loose in Hopewell's restaurants.

  ''This scheme is good for Hongkong,'' said Mr Chan.

  ''Money is spent retraining the mainland Chinese contract workers who come to Hongkong, and it is right that we should spend money to retrain our own workers.''   Mr Kyron Kong, Cafe de Coral's personnel manager, expressed similar views.

  ''With the present labour shortage, this scheme will be important in helping those who have lost their jobs because of economic restructuring.

   ''We are looking for general crew staff to work as waiters, and in the kitchen.

    ''They don't require much experience and we will provide all the skills through on-the-job training.''   Mr Kong said the major problem would be adapting to the new skills and working environment.

  ''It will be a psychological problem which we hope to overcome with frequent communication and counselling of the trainees.''   Although it is a business which may well attract foreign customers, Mr Kong said English-language training would not be given.

  The staff would not be given such specific training.

  No applications for jobs had yet been made, but an officer of the Employees' Retraining Board had given a presentation to Cafe de Coral's management about the scheme.

  While the restaurant business may need workers, other Hongkong firms have not had difficulties attracting staff.

  The administration manager of Hongkong Electric, Ms Minnie Lee, said it was unlikely the company would take part in the OJT scheme.

  ''We do not have a major problem recruiting the level of people we need,'' she said.

  ''We do take on our own trainees, but we think the scheme is more beneficial for those companies which are short of staff and who need to retrain them.'' 



Food firms discover fine recipe for workers