Addressing the global chef shortage

By MiNDFOOD

Addressing the global chef shortage

While the tourism industry in New Zealand booms, with the restaurant sector growing at a rate of 5 per cent per annum for the last 5 years alone, restaurateurs are having to cut opening hours without enough qualified staff in place. But this is not an exclusive New Zealand problem, there is currently a massive world-wide chef shortage.

Many Chef students become short sighted when they start their qualifications and the lure of a regular income far outweighs the slog of attending classes and taking exams. Resulting in an estimated 75 per cent drop off rate from all culinary students enrolling in the Pacific region alone.

Low margins on food mean that salaries are no longer the ultimate attraction and employers are having to get creative with their incentivising to attract and keep the best-qualified staff. Profit share, paid accommodation, further education and even yoga classes are just some of the rabbits that restaurant owners are pulling out of hats to top up salaries.

On top of this, current industry requirements often require that trainees need to attend a 6-12-week face-to-face training course annually. Often at a high cost to the company responsible for sponsoring the Trainee Chef.

Addressing the shortage

Recognising the need to be able offer students all over the world the opportunity to get the qualifications that they want and need, International Culinary Studio has turned to the world of online. Everyone from Industry Professionals to absolute beginners, who wish to formalise their education or up-skill to the next level, are now able to do so online.

“The concept of earning while you learn is a game changer for those people working in the industry. Never before have students been able to gain globally recognised Chef qualifications online while keeping a full-time job. We offer any culinary student the opportunity to get qualified from any kitchen, anywhere in the world,” says Director of Studies at International Culinary Studio, Chery Nesbitt.

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