If you’ve been tearing your hair out trying to find staff for your café, hotel or tour business, meet your new best buddy: eeger. It’s a government-funded, industry-led digital platform built to help solve the staffing headache in hospitality, tourism and travel.

Backed by a $10 million investment from the Albanese Government, and launched in partnership with Accommodation Australia, eeger is a national careers and training hub designed to attract, train and retain workers across the visitor economy.

The skills gap is real

The visitor economy supports over 706,000 jobs. That’s about one in every 23 jobs in Australia, and it underpins over 360,000 businesses, from cafés to cultural centres and tour operators. With workforce demand projected to grow by nearly 150,000 jobs by 2033, the eegar platform comes at the perfect time for the sector.

Jobs & Skills Australia reports that the retention gap — the fact skilled workers aren’t staying long-term — is a major driver of shortages in food and hospitality, which is expected to grow by 17.7 per cent by 2034. The ABS and TRA data confirm hospitality remains one of the most staff-short industries in 2023–24.

What’s eeger all about?

eeger brings job vacancies, training programs and career development tools into one easy-to-use hub. Instead of hopping between job boards, TAFE sites and training providers, everything’s centralised.

Minister for Trade and Tourism Don Farrell welcomed the launch, calling it a game-changer for the industry:

“The launch of eeger marks a pivotal moment for the industry, offering a national perspective for tourism, travel and hospitality job seekers to find the right opportunities and for employers to access the skilled workforce they need.”

He added that the government is backing the platform to help the sector bounce back stronger than ever:

“The Albanese Labor Government is proud to support this innovative platform, which will help future‑proof Australia’s visitor economy.”

Built by industry, for industry

Emilie Howe, eeger’s General Manager, says the platform isn’t your average job board:

“eeger is more than a job platform. It’s built by industry, for industry. It’s a unique solution that centralises career, job and training information for our workforce needs – the first of its kind on a national scale.”

James Goodwin, CEO of Accommodation Australia, added:

“We’re proud to have worked with so many sectors to develop such an innovative platform that responds exactly to what the industry needs.”

For small hospitality owners, operators and recruiters, eeger offers something practical: a single spot to post jobs, tap into training pathways, and upskill existing staff. Best of all it’s free. Eegar cuts through recruitment admin and connects you with local talent looking for real career pathways, not just gigs.

With staff shortages biting, and many businesses forced to scale back hours or services due to lack of crew, eeger gives you the tools to find and retain staff more efficiently.

“My first job was in tourism, and I know firsthand how magnificent this industry is to be a part of,” says Farrell. “I encourage businesses and jobseekers to sign up and make the most of this innovative platform and join this vibrant and important sector.”

Sign up your business, advertise a role, explore training options, or update staff on career progression. It’s all hosted in one place. Eegar is especially smart for small businesses wanting to hire local, train front-of-house crews or take on apprentices.

eeger is live now. You can check it out via the eeger website and get ahead of the staffing squeeze.

Need more bite-sized pointers on how to navigate recruitment or take advantage of skills platforms? Check out our HR hub, where we make workforce planning actually doable.

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