WITH just 10 days to go until the Westgate Centre is due to open businesses are still struggling to recruit staff.

Vacancies are listed for dozens of jobs on the shopping centre’s website, with Monday deadlines for the likes of John Lewis and New Look.

Meanwhile, Primark, Vans and Krispy Kreme are among many who will keep advertising for positions after the October 24 launch.

It comes after it was revealed last week that less than half of the Westgate’s 125 units would open at the official reopening.

Carlos Salas, general manager of Sticks ‘n’ Sushi, said he had found it hard to fill the up to 40 jobs available at the restaurant, which will open as part of the first phase of the shopping centre’s launch.

He said: “Finding part time staff has been okay because of the university students, but getting full time staff is a real mission.

“We have found, in particular, there’s a lack of chefs in the city. I’m in contact with a number of Oxford restaurants and even they have been struggling.”

Mr Salas is currently based at the Westgate’s ‘recruitment hub’ at The King’s Centre in Osney Mead, West Oxford, trying to find train new staff ahead of next Tuesday’s opening.

He said that despite a large number of chef and front of house roles remaining unfilled he was confident the restaurant would open as planned, saying: “We have a team who will come from London to help with the initial launch and they will stay to train staff for the following eight to 10 weeks.

“It’s not necessarily unusual for this to happen at first and once people see the restaurant and the centre opened I’m sure we will get more applications.”

Kate Allen, managing director at Allen Associates, one of Oxfordshire’s largest independent recruitment agencies, said she was not surprised to hear businesses were struggling to find staff.

She said: “There is a shortage of good quality workers across Oxfordshire in general. We have only been involved with recruiting a few members of back office staff for Westgate but I can imagine they are finding it tough as most employers in the city do.”

She explained near full employment meant a lot of businesses were competing against each other, adding: “The temporary market is larger than I have seen in our 20 year history. There’s a real lack of high quality candidates.

“It is a global problem but is amplified here in Oxford because of our employment levels.”

On October 24, 60 units will open including the centre’s 140,000 sq ft John Lewis anchor store.