Ms Nguyen is one of 190 business people to have taken part in RDA Orana's Regional Skills Outlook survey conducted across September and October.

A struggle to employ qualified staff has prompted Ms Nguyen to suggest the expansion of TAFE NSW courses that “create interest in different cuisines”.

This week RDA Orana revealed Ms Nguyen’s recent staffing predicament.

She advertised in Sydney without success, despite targeting its Vietnamese community.

“There were a lot of inquiries but many people thought that it was Double Bay,” the business owner said.

“People are reluctant to come out this way because they are far away from their community.”

But Ms Nguyen, who runs the Lotus Cafe in Talbragar Street with her husband Nhan Tran, isn’t throwing her hands in the air.

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She is offering up a solution that could be a job generator in Dubbo and regional NSW.

“We need to create more interest in people wanting to learn about different cuisines,” the business owner said.

“We need to create more awareness.

“I would love to see courses introduced at TAFE.

“Looking at the situation, I’ve identified what we can do and that is to create interest in different cuisines.”

Ms Nguyen’s opinions and that of 189 others are currently being “collated and analysed”.

A report will be prepared by RDA Orana “later in the year”.

RDA Orana executive officer Megan Dixon sent survey researchers to towns across the region that encompasses 13 Local Government Areas (LGAs).

“Their aim was to gauge workforce demands, business barriers, present and future skills shortages, recruitment and retention, exports and innovations, and training and growth,” she said.

“The Regional Skills Outlook study includes developing a profile of each LGA, including major employers and training providers in those areas.

“Information will then be used to shape projects and policies that support regional economic growth into the future.”

Mrs Dixon said the 190 participants in the survey provided “good representation from all industry sectors”.

The Lotus Cafe, which opened earlier this year, sells baked pastries and Vietnamese-style stir-fries and soups, along with some Australian-style food.