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The
ethnic catering industry is an asset to the UK economy and urgent
action must be taken to secure its future, Skills Secretary John
Denham has said.
At a summit
with employers and training providers Mr Denham made a commitment to
supporting the Asian and Oriental catering industry in developing a
supply of highly skilled chefs to help it thrive, and led the
development of a joint action plan that will be reviewed after six months.
The meeting
was called to agree how industry and Government can work together to
engage and develop talent from the UK into the ethnic catering sector
to tackle skills shortages, gradually moving away from the reliance
on recruiting trained chefs from outside the European Economic Area (EEA).
Delegates and
ministers discussed the impact of immigration rule changes, the
economic downturn and the barriers to recruiting UK based curry
chefs: whether they would be perceived as 'authentic'; that English
is often not used as a first language in the kitchens; and the fact
that the hospitality sector currently has low appeal as a career
choice.
Mr Denham
said that Government and industry needed to find a raft of solutions
to tackle the various obstacles in recruiting and retaining skilled
curry chefs. He said:
"There
is no such thing as a simple skills shortage - the issue is far more
complex and wide-ranging than that, and to move forward we need to
tackle all of the barriers, no matter how deep-rooted.
"The
summit has proved that we all want to make progress - that is, to be
able to recruit locally, offer attractive career opportunities and
have structured entry routes into the profession. To do this we need
a strategic approach and co-ordinated action by employers and
employer representatives with help and support from Government and
other partners.
"I'm
delighted by the enthusiasm and commitment that has been brought to
the table and this discussion has been enormously helpful. Our
challenge now is to continue working together to maintain momentum
and take this forward."
Tourism
Minister Barbara Follett led on discussions around the reputation and
perception of the sector, and how the industry can make itself more
attractive to new talent. She said:
"Although
the hospitality industry can offer rewarding and challenging careers
and is, currently one of the few sectors recruiting staff in large
numbers, many people still do not think of it as a serious or long
term profession. This is a terrible pity and a terrible waste.
"That,
and the need to ensure the future success of the hospitality
industry, is why the government is keen to change perceptions of what
a career in it can offer. The summit was an important step forward
with the Government and industry working together to solve this problem.
"Making
sure the catering industry has access to highly skilled chefs will
not only benefit employers but provide an improved experience for
diners. I look forward to working with all those involved to make
sure this happens."
The ideas
from the summit will form the basis of a joint action plan to tackle
specific issues identified during the discussion.
Delegates
have agreed to attend a follow-up meeting in six months' time to
review progress in three main areas:
g
How best to market the industry - to tackle reputation issues and to
encourage young people, their parents, and others looking for a new
challenge to recognise the potential of a career in ethnic cuisine.
g
Hold further discussions on how the industry itself needs to evolve
to thrive and succeed, now and in the future - to identify industry
leaders and support them in implementing change.
g
Consider how the current skills and qualifications framework could be
adapted to be more relevant and targeted to the sector - including
apprenticeships, Group Training Associations to help SMEs provide
training, looking at the role of Colleges and specialist centres, and
the National Skills Academy for Hospitality.
Denis Wong,
Managing Director of Chinese Catering Solutions, said:
"Through
hard work, thrift and a highly skilled workforce, the UK oriental
catering sector has achieved great success in recent years.
"It
now faces considerable challenges in sustaining that success within a
new business environment in which recruitment from outside of the EEA
is restricted. The Summit has made the first steps towards meeting
those challenges, with some positive suggestions on the way forwards."
Cyrus
Todiwala, Executive Chef and Patron of Café Spice Namaste in
London, said:
"For
the very first time I feel confident that the right people in
politics are listening to the industry at large. I hope a concrete
action plan will now follow, which will eventually result in the
Hospitality Industry resolving our endemic problems related to
finding the right skills at home, and that we may be able to nurture
and develop future skills from within British home-grown talent -
something that in the long term will benefit the entire nation.
"The
Asian & Oriental sector needs all the help it can get to address
these issues, and I feel assured this is likely to happen now."
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