The Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism recently identified a severe shortage of chefs in the hospitality industry. Compass Group Southern Africa (Compass Group SA), the country's largest food services company, has decided to tackle the hospitality sector's national skills shortage head on. According to the department some of the reasons include tertiary education facilities and hospitality-trained graduates find more attractive employment overseas. Compass Group SA launched its Chef Academy in 2008 and has invested almost R6 million in facilities to train over 200 previously disadvantaged pupils - of which 38 have been deaf learners. The one-year course comprises 30 percent theory and 70 percent practical work, which the academy considers the ideal mix to provide learners with the skills necessary to operate optimally in all aspects of the hospitality sector. The academy pupils are selected from a database provided by the Department of Labour, the National Institute for the Deaf and the National Youth Development Fund. The Compass group partnered with The South African Chefs Association (SACA), which has been tasked by the Department of Tourism to train, develop and create employment for 800 previously jobless chefs in 2011. The Department of Tourism has requested the association to implement a nationwide project in all nine provinces through its affiliated training providers and members involved in hotels, restaurant and catering services. Pupils will be invited to the group's business sites from 1 June where they will be enrolled in a six month City and Guilds Certificate programme in Culinary Arts (level three), a requirement of which is that they spend one day a week with the training provider and four days on site. The Department will pay learners a travel stipend for the full six months.