EURES (European employment services) is a network where the Swedish employment service together with other employment services are helped to recruit in the shortage.
The purpose of the network is to promote free movement within Europe.
Banna Thioubou, EURES Adviser at the employment service in Kalmar County, says that there is a great need for chefs.
They estimate that there will be a shortage of 5,000 chefs by 2030 and that today there is an even greater need than before the pandemic.
- There are a lot of people who have left the industry, says Banna Thioubou.
Not everyone will come back
She thinks it can be difficult to get chefs who have left to return to the industry.
Some have retrained and applied to other industries, while others have settled down with more comfortable working hours.
- One must not forget that it is a very tough industry with irregular times.
You have to work evenings and weekends.
Banna Thioubou believes that the solution to the shortage of chefs is to recruit staff from other European countries.
Chefs are mainly recruited from Spain, but also from France and Italy.
Previously, EURES went down to the countries to recruit, but today it is done via digital fairs.
How many chefs are needed for Kalmar County?
- It is hard to say.
But there are many, there are really many, says Banna Thioubou.
Hear Banna Thioubou tell more about the shortage of chefs and European chef recruitment in the clip above.