North Shore Times article talks about shortage of skills in hospitality, whilst Richard Weintz, an apprentice chef at Aqua Dining, tells his story of how he ended up in the hospitality industry: “I ended up wanting more than just being a kitchen and and scrubbing dishes, so I decided to make it official and get a qualification.”
To learn more about becoming a Chef, see HTN’s new program ASPIRE.
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This week HTN launched 3 new programs under the Total Chef Banner – see previous coverage here. The launch attracted over 100 attendees, including guests from William Angliss and Service Skills Australia, and hospitality industry experts and professionals such as Paul Smith, Colin Barker, Adam Moore, Paul McDonald and Mel Nathan.
CEO Michael Bennett outlined the aims of the programs, while Nino Zoccali – chef and owner of Pendolino and La Rosa, explained why the initiative was so important to the industry.
The launch was a resounding success, and it was a great opportunity to get feedback from our friends and colleagues. For more information about the Total Chef programs click here.
Stewart White has been named the new national chair of judges for the Savour Australia Restaurant & Catering Hostplus Awards for Excellence.
Principal of Whiteworks Public Relations and a fellow of the Public Relations Institute of Australia, Stewart White, has previously held the position of a NSW chair of judges for the R&CA Wine List awards, chair of the biennial Australian Food Media Awards from 2008 to 2012, was president in Australian Association of Food Professionals, as well as Media Club Australia Inc.
White is also member of Sommeliers Australia and has successfully completed the first stage of the international Court of Master Sommeliers program.
With nominations for the state Awards for Excellence program closing on 20 March, White is encouraging caterers, restaurants and cafes to get involved: “The Restaurant and Catering Evaluation System (RACES) utilises up to 66 judging criteria to assess all aspects of the eating experience.”
Previous chair of judges include Kate McGhie, Joanna Saville, Matt Preston and Peter Howard.
To read more about Stewart follow this link: http://goo.gl/D3wS1m
Congratulations to Stewart!
read moreHTN Sponsor HOSTPLUS are now accepting applications for the 2015 HOSTPLUS Hospitality Scholarship, which is supported by Melbourne Food and Wine. The recipient will receive once in a lifetime international work experience.
This scholarship is open to 18-30 year olds from any area in hospitality with the winner gaining incredible access to Melbourne Food and Wine’s extensive global network to work in internationally acclaimed venues worldwide.
To enter the scholarship, applicants upload a short video online discussing their passion for the industry and explaining how they will use the opportunity to add value to their career in Australia. Submissions close 10th April 2015 with winners announced in May 2015.
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Following three days of master classes, culinary challenges and fine dining experiences in Melbourne, Mitchell Tucker from Tugun, Queensland was announced the winner at a Gala dinner event.
He was recognised by the Fonterra Proud to be a Chef mentors (including Joe Grbac from Saint Crispin, Zac Nicholson from Rockpool Bar and Grill and Foodservice Expert Peter Wright) as a standout finalist and was awarded the major prize of an international culinary paid placement, personalised to his aspirations as a chef.
HTN Apprentice Chefs Bridgette Thompson and Chris Foster were among the 32 finalists from across Australia who took part in the program, providing them with a once in a lifetime opportunity to network, develop new skills and be mentored by some of Australia’s top chefs.
read moreHTN is delighted to announce Aspire – a new program allowing young people to realise their dreams of becoming professional chefs.
Aspire is a high-end preparatory program in commercial cookery. It will commence on Tuesday 7th April at William Angliss Institute.
This intensive eight-week course is designed for anyone who wants to get a start in the culinary profession, and who wants to take their skills to the highest level. The course combines face-to-face learning with on-the-job training.
Students will not only get the very best of cookery training, but after successfully completing the course, will be guaranteed an apprenticeship in one of Australia’s best kitchens*.
Aspire places a priority on exceptional technical skills. It will be an ideal way to get to the first rung in this rewarding industry.
During the eight-week course, there will be three days of practical tuition each week and two days of work placement. Tuition will be provided by TAFE NSW as well as the William Angliss Institute.
There will be master classes and guest lectures from leading chefs including Nino Zoccali from The Restaurant Pendolino, and Colin Barker from The Boathouse on Blackwattle Bay.
There will be a media master class with Adrian Richardson from the Lifestyle Food Channel.
Participants will have access to an extensive library of resources and training videos through the new HTN Skills Board.
Each student will have their own HTN personal mentor for the duration of the program. They will be able to utilise the HTN ePortfolio which enables apprentices to build an interactive CV and to showcase their skills and work.
After completing the eight-week Aspire course, students will hold the accreditation towards a Certificate II in Kitchen Operations (Basic Cookery).
At the end of the program, they will be career-ready, and will have the opportunity to progress to an apprenticeship with HTN Professional or HTN Executive (recognised for prior learning).
As Australia’s leading group employer of culinary and food service apprentices, HTN is proud to be working with leading chefs, restaurants, clubs and training providers on the Aspire program. This is a real opportunity for aspiring chefs to set themselves up for a great career.
For more information, take a look at the Aspire Program page where you can find more information and application details.
A career as a professional chef is both fulfilling and rewarding, with real opportunity for career advancement, travel, and job satisfaction.
I sincerely hope that this may be the chance to help make young people’s vision a reality.
Chief Executive Officer, HTN
*Conditions Apply
HTN was recently nominated in the Top 100 Trusted Brands and is now in the running to be named one of the Top 10 Trusted Brands.
The competition was launched by Hospitality Magazine and aims to be Australia’s leading national showcase of the best brands in the hospitality food service industry.
To vote for HTN please visit the Trusted Brands Competition before 8th March 2015.
HTN are committed to offering our Apprentices with the best opportunities to learn by coordinating master classes each year, an exclusive “HTN only” event. Students enrolled in the Aspire program will also have opportunity to attend several workshops with leading chefs.
Master classes are generally based on feedback from our apprentices (or our hosts) and have covered a range of topics in the past including:
Master classes will be offered throughout 2015 – follow our Facebook page, sign up to our newsletter for updates.
Have an idea for a Master Class? Post it in the comments below.
According to Hospitality Magazine finding and hiring reliable and skilled workers is one of the greatest challenges facing business owners in the hospitality sector. The industry has experienced unprecedented growth (more than 10% a year) creating huge demand on the jobs market. As Anne Cazar, assistant director of tourism and hospitality at TAFE NSW says, “we’re just not attracting enough people to meet the increase in the market”.
Chef and Restaurateur Nino Zoccali, who operates two Italian restaurants in Sydney, couldn’t agree more; ‘there’s a huge shortage of skilled labour in our area’ says Zoccali, who cites changes to labour laws, and the growth of the hospitality industry since the GFC as contributing factors.
In New South Wales in 2014, only 1,489 people commenced commercial cookery apprenticeships. This is compared to 1,580 in 2013 and 1,670 in 2012. HTN is now working hard to correct this trend with the innovation of new skills programs like TotalChef Aspire.
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HTN Apprentice Chefs Guy Lobsey, Caprice Minehan and Justin Fawbert were the recent recipients of the mini iPads for completing the HTN Quality Service Survey (conducted every year as part of our continuous improvement program).
The HTN Host Trainers who received the $250 voucher from Fraser and Hughes are Vikrant Kapoor from Zaaffran, Simon McNamara from Canterbury Leagues Club and Pat Gibbons from Fairmont Resort.
Congratulations to all the winners, and make sure you take the time to complete next year’s Quality Service Survey – stay tuned.
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