A progressive culinary and hospitality school has been launched in Auckland to combat the skill shortages in the hospitality industry. The Culinary Collective offers a range of contemporary qualifications tailored to meet the needs of the modern food and hospitality industry. As it stands, the Restaurant Association of New Zealand estimates that a further 55,000 skilled workers within the next five years.
The schools sixteen courses are all named after the profession they would lead to, including International Chef, Visionary Foodie, Professional Chef, Restaurant Manager, Front of House and Entrepreneur Baker.
“A recent survey by the Tertiary Education Commission found that 18-24 years olds don’t have a positive image of vocational education in New Zealand,” said Nicole Domett, The Culinary Collective CEO. “We know this applies to hospitality and cooking, and there is a job to do in redefining the opportunity—engaging and relevant study is an important starting point.”
“The Culinary Collective is taking a fresh approach to equipping students with skills that will support their professional goals and are in-line with industry trends, and importantly, we are focussed on attracting more students into careers in hospitality by shifting perceptions around what ‘working in hospo’ can be,” said Domett.
Tutors and teachers at The Culinary Collective come from a diverse range of professional backgrounds, offering the students insight into a multitude of subjects.
With New Zealand’s shortages in the hospitality industry, MoneyHub estimates training to be a chef as one of the Top 20 areas of study based on where the jobs are, what they pay and the potential for career progression.
“New Zealand is a leading tourism destination and services are at the core of the economy. Training to be a chef is an excellent career choice, given the demand for jobs here and worldwide,” said Christopher Walsh, MoneyHub senior researcher. “It’s creative, flexible, self-managing and highly engaging.”
“Best of all, many chefs go on to run their own business, and/or expand entrepreneurially in other ventures. It’s a career that is only going up, with opportunities for every interest.”
Student enrolments for The Culinary Collective are now open, with the first period of study starting February 2020.
