SACA and the Ministry of Tourism joined forces to train 800 new Chefs

  At the recent launch of the National Department of Tourism Youth Training programme, Martinus van Schalkwyk, Minister of Tourism said The National Department of Tourism relies on capable and recognised organisations as partners and they are pleased to be working with the South African Chefs Association on this initiative. “We believe that this partnership will provide the trainees with the skills, knowledge and experience to gain sustainable employment in the hospitality and tourism industry and one day become leaders and innovators in their own right.”;said van Schalkwyk

In addition to job creation, which is a key priority of Government, the foundation of the Food Preparation and Culinary Arts certificate programme is training and skills development. Qualified, professional chefs have been identified as a scarce skill in South Africa.

“ The programme is specifically focused on young people. We all recognise that job creation is of particular importance to our youth,” said Minister van Schalkwyk. The National Department of Tourism has partnered with the South African Chefs Association for this initiative. President of SACA Stephen Billingham stresses that there is a strong economic empowerment element to the programme as SACA hat to identify some emerging cookery schools in the rural areas and help them to build capacity and fast-track in terms of infrastructure and development. SACA has never before been in the position to give schools this opportunity. All 27 schools identified were personally visited to ensure that they are compliant in terms of theoretical and practical training. To this end SACA developed national resource standards for the training programme, as well as learner resources an measurement tools. Each participating school also has to be accredited by City & Guilds in the United Kingdom and has to have the required number of craft trainers.

Content of the programme

A total of R 25m will be invested in the 2010/2011 financial year. 800 South Africans between the ages of 18 and 35 with a matric qualification will be trained in this level 3 Certificate Programme.

SACA’s involvement

The Buzz around the SACA stand at the Department of Tourism’s career day in 2009 started discussions around the idea of a Youth Training Programme. Together with SACA a certificate in culinary arts, which is registered with City and Guilds in the UK was developed which will enable students to work anywhere in the word upon completion.

A pilot programme was introduced at SACA’s Centre of Culinary Excellence late last month. Other training providers which form part of the programme are: Swiss Hotel School; HTA School of Culinary Art; Capital Hotel School; Silwood Kitchen;  Institute of Culinary Arts, butlers Hotel School, 1000 Hills Chefs school; fusion Cooking School; Capsicum, International Hotel School, School of Culinary art, alfresco Academy of food and the Centre of Culinary Excellence.

Each school will train an average of 32 students made up of 2 groups of 16 each.