Set up in 2011 to advance training in the hospitality sector in New Zealand, the Hospitality Training Trust (HTT) is a registered charity which aims to promote the development of excellence, leadership, talent, and knowledge in the industry.
To date, the Trust has awarded a range of Grants, initially for projects sponsored by the Hospitality Standard Institute and in 2012 to projects proposed by Service Skills Institute (trading as ServiceIQ). From 2013, applications were invited from other hospitality sector participants.
Restaurant & Café magazine talked to two of this year’s recipients. Lucy Carver from Whenua Iti Outdoors, who received $2,490 for their Manaaki Kai: Young Māori Leaders in Hospitality programme, and Jasbir Kaur from Ignite Colleges, who received $4,000 for their Australasia Tapas Competition.
Whenua Iti Outdoors provides experiential education across Te Tauihu (Top of the South) and Te Tai Poutini (West Coast).
“We are an NZQA accredited provider of Trades Academy programmes, and the Manaaki Tāpoi programme is our kaupapa Māori Hospitality and Tourism course,” explained Carver.
“This course has a consistent 95 percent credit pass rate amongst Māori participants, a stark difference from overall NCEA pass rates for young Māori (71.9 percent at Level 2 and 60.7 percent at Level 3 in 2020). We attribute this to the mana-enhancing (esteem building) cultural approach of course delivery.”
Read our full interview with Lucy Carver here.
Jasbir Kaur represented New Zealand in the World Tapas Competition five years ago, the first time New Zealand was represented. When she returned, she wished to set up her own competition.
“The first one we did we had 14 participants, the second one we had 45!”
