British Columbia is trying to figure out how to attract and retain chefs and cooks, as the specialized trade experiences one of the most acute shortages in the province.

The government announced this month it would spend $141,000 studying how to attract and retain quality workers to the industry, which is pivotal not only for tourism and hospitality, but also for the natural resources sector.

Chefs and cooks are considered the fifth-most in-demand skill set, with looming shortages just behind registered nurses, truckers, carpenters and financial auditors. Labour analysts predict 2016 is the point when the pinch begins in earnest, as the pool of younger workers becomes smaller than the number of aging workers who are eyeing retirement.

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"Labour market data for cooks and chefs have been historically difficult to analyze," Shirley Bond, Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Minister Responsible for Labour, said in a statement released to The Globe and Mail.

"That's why the ministry is funding an in-depth labour market information study … to understand the challenges in retaining cooks and chefs, among other issues related to this occupation group."

Other issues to be examined in the study include wages, productivity, operational costs, gratuities and other non-wage benefits.

The problem has become pronounced in the Okanagan.

A survey by the Central Okanagan Economic Development Commission (COEDC) highlighted a shortage of labour in the region's tourism sector. Roughly 74 per cent of businesses in the Central Okanagan's tourism industry face challenges retaining and recruiting quality employees. The COEDC surveyed 44 tourism businesses, asking which skill sets were needed the most.

"Culinary staff – both ticketed and unticketed – were cited as frequent skill sets that were difficult to source and retain," said Corie Griffiths, the commission's economic development manager.

One of the reasons it's difficult to retain quality employees seems to be the seasonal nature of tourism work

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"All of a sudden the snow starts coming down, and places like the golf courses and wineries all shut down," said Nikolas Roy, a Kelowna-based sous chef. "The local people don't really support these places in the off-season.

"There's no job security," he added.

Up until November, Mr. Roy had been working as the daytime sous chef for the bistro at Summerhill Pyramid Winery before he was abruptly laid off.

"They laid us off a month and a half early, with no warning. They gave us a week's notice," he said.

Mr. Roy has more than 15 years of experience in the industry, but he likely won't return to Summerhill next season, citing his unexpected layoff. He believes that his own frustrations with his former employer are ubiquitous across the hospitality industry.

"They're looking to retain staff, but it's kind of hard when you lay off [employees] every year. People are pretty loyal if you treat them well."

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Mr. Roy believes one solution could be for employers to invest revenue from the busy season toward staff wages over the winter months, something that his former colleague, Jeremy Luypen, has put into practice with success.

"I don't have a problem retaining good staff here," said Mr. Luypen, executive chef at Predator Ridge Resort in Vernon. "I manage to keep seven cooks year-round for a business that's only open three days a week and not very busy at all – because the group that I work for recognizes the need to invest in quality people."

By cutting costs over the summer, Mr. Luypen was able to pool savings toward retaining his core staff over the winter. "It's about being creative in your budget process. If you know what you're doing as a chef, you can control your food costs," he said.

"At the end of the year, most investors and owners want to see bottom-line dollars. A big thing about retention is that until businesses realize they need to make changes to the way they do business [in order] to keep quality [staff], they'll always struggle."