22 More Graduate In Administration Skills
A fresh batch of 22 chefs received their certificates of achievement after a six week Administrative/Supervisory Skill Course at Monroe College’s School of Hospitality Management and Culinary Arts.
The St. Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association (SLHTA) was also on board for the duration of the course.
They were the fifth batch, and largest, to graduate from this programme.
Hospitality instructor at Monroe College, Winston Benjamin said the programme was conceived three years ago after a number of issues faced in hotel kitchens island-wide were looked into with the most common one being the fact that up and coming chefs had no administrative skills.
Benjamin said: “They know how to cook, they’re very skilful but to create and write a menu or requisition and to do all the little administrative processes, they are lacking in that”.
Since inception, Monroe College has trained over 80 chefs and according to Benjamin, since the demand for the course is high, another course will begin in May.
He added: “We are very sure that this programme will help to solve that kind of problem, so already we’re seeing results but they’re coming to us by way of feedback where we did a survey and a lot of the hotels are saying that they’re happy with what’s happening”.
Benjamin told The VOICE that it was refreshing to see the reaction of the students because to him, they were hungry for information. He was certain to receive at least 90% of positive feedback about the students in terms of improved skills.
Amanda John, a chef from the Rendezvous Hotel took part in the programme. She said in an industry where professional chefs were badly needed, this course had come at the opportune time to propel students forward in the industry.
She said: “This course brought a lot of professionalism out of me and helped me deal with all kinds of different issues, especially people, because we meet all kinds of people…guests and staff. It taught me how to deal with everything, even with the creation of menus, there was so much…it was just brilliant.
Former Food and Beverage Manager of Windjammer Landing Hotel, John Maycock gave a motivational speech to the graduates. He expressed his full support for the initiative and said that a difference can always be seen in the students who do the course.
He said: “It teaches them things that they haven’t learnt on the job or that they haven’t been taught as yet and they do the course and get a different experience especially when it comes to interacting with other people who they don’t see every day. So for that reason it is a great benefit to the students”.
