Training rejig ‘will worsen skills crisis'

The skills shortage in Britain's kitchens will get even worse over the next few years because of the Government's latest training shake-up.

That was the bleak message to delegates at Caterer & Hotelkeeper‘s annual Chef Conference at London's Dorchester hotel on Monday.

Speaking at a packed Question Time session, Stuart Rhodes, team leader of hospitality and catering at Harrogate College, said the demise of Training and Enterprise Councils, in favour of Learning Skills Councils, would create a huge problem in training young chefs.

"The new Learning Skills Councils have decided to put more money into popular courses at the expense of less subscribed courses," he said.

"That means, for example, that motor engineering courses will get more money but catering courses less.

"From September, motor engineering courses are extending from three to four years to allow students to cover the subject in more depth. To do this, we may have to cut our Advanced Modern Apprenticeship courses for chefs from three years to two years."

Rhodes estimated that in two years' time, it would be impossible to get many students up to NVQ level three standard.

"The upshot of the funding being pulled from our courses will ultimately be that skills shortages will get even more dire."

He called on the industry to press the Government to rethink its training policy.

By Gaby Huddart

Source: Caterer & Hotelkeeper magazine, 22-28 March 2001