Training is key to industry’s future
THE FEDERAL AND STATE GOVERNMENTS NEED TO REVITALISE THE TAFE SYSTEM SO THAT WE PLACE AN EMPHASIS ON TRAINING YOUNG, LOCAL PEOPLE.
EVEN though I strongly support the Queensland Government’s hard border closure for the health of all, I can appreciate how difficult it has been and is for the hospitality industry in Cairns.
From the perspective of the Australian Culinary Federation, North Queensland branch, the impact has been profound. For the first time in many years we have had to put a number of hallmark initiatives on hold. Since 1985 as the Catering Institute of Australia, and later as the ACF, our organisation has been running culinary competitions for the Cairns region. In 1998 we commenced holding the highly successful Restaurant of The Year Competition. This competition not only showcases the region’s best restaurants, but the proceeds raised from the generosity of participating establishments and our ACF members, have enabled us to sponsor young chefs to advance their professional skills, networking opportunities and job prospects.
For the past 35 years we have financed, and in conjunction with industry chefs, trained young chefs to compete in professional cookery competitions at the local, state, national and international levels.
We have enjoyed a long and extremely successful record at these events and our chefs have competed in Cairns, Townsville, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sydney, Darwin, Melbourne,
Adelaide, Canberra and Hobart. Internationally we have sent competitors to Singapore, Malaysia, Turkey and China. We have seen a large number of these chefs either remaining in or returning to the Cairns region to work in the local industry, bringing their experiences and acquired knowledge back home:
The medal and trophy tally from these competitions numbers in the hundreds and we have a former Australian Chef of The Year, two world ice carving champions and numerous gold and silver medal winners working in the region at present.
It is with the support and encouragement of industry chefs, their establishments, and the local TAFE College that we will recommence our endeavours in this area once the industry can be assured that it can operate as “normal”.
Unfortunately, COVID-19 has seen many chefs and hospitality workers laid off, seeking other employment or existing on JobKeeper.
Of course, we are hoping that conditions will allow for these displaced workers to return to the industry, but there are real concerns that some restaurants and cafes will not survive the impact of the pandemic. International travel restrictions have revealed the dependence of our training organisations on International Students.
The federal and state governments need to revitalise the TAFE system so that we place an emphasis on training young, local people.