ON THE GRAPEVINE | Plenty of jobs in the region ... but where are the workers?

Ok perhaps not a career but maybe a second job, or maybe even a job on the side while studying at university. Instead crickets.

Four or five years ago there would be a steady stream of young bright personalities waltzing in through the doors of restaurants, pubs and clubs around the country looking for that start into the workforce.

Granted many were travelling or school leavers not sure what they 'really' wanted to do with their lives, they just needed an income and hospitality was easy, anyone could get a job. Somewhere and for some reason that steady stream stopped.

Sure, it's not the job for you if you want a weekend social life. Nights are probably out of the question as well. Friday and Saturday nights may even be spent serving your school friends.

The Industry however has a lot of benefits, much like everything else, if you put the work in. Yes, you have to start at the bottom, often doing remedial jobs that seem pointless and arduous. Eventually through experience, study and hard word, it can become an amazing career, much like anything else.

Funnily enough there may be no better place in New South Wales than Orange to do it. A customer asked me the other day why I wasn't in Sydney or Melbourne working, why would I stay in Orange. Simple response 'why would I want to be anywhere else'?

Fortunately for myself I live about a 10 minutes' walk from work, not a 10-minute walk after a 90-minute commute each way, each day.

If I drive somewhere through town the longest wait I have at a traffic light is around five minutes, compare that to driving the M4, M5, M2 on a Saturday morning.

Orange has a litany of fantastic venues to start at as well. Dozens of restaurants with a range of styles and attitudes. New and renovated accommodation is springing up throughout town. Cellar doors literally crying for staff, yet seemingly no one will answer the call.

Perhaps it is an internal industry problem. Long hours, unreasonable customer expectations, self-inflicted slaves to Trip Advisor and Google reviews.

Maybe it is a modern social change, people preferring to stay home, individualism, a society more concerned with digital content than face-to-face interaction.

For those of you keen and don't know where to start, please start walking into venues and handing your resume in.

Don't just email, don't just call, walk in, talk to someone.