Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris was delighted to officially launch a new initiative from the Wexford based Talbot Collection, which looks to help meet employer demands in the hospitality sector and see successful candidates take up employment across the collection.
The Talbot’s ‘Chef Development Programme’ is open to candidates from all over the country and will delivered by the Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB).
The initiative will see 20 successful applicants from all over Ireland take part in a 12 week training course in state of the art facilities at Marine House, The Murrough, Wicklow Town and Bray Institute of Further Education. They will be accommodated in the Talbot Hotel, Stillorgan, for the duration and will receive a City and Guilds Level 2 Diploma in Culinary Skills. Upon completion of the work-based programme, successful participants will be offered a two year employment contract and the opportunity for further education and training through an apprenticeship at one of the Talbot collection hotels.
‘I’m delighted to be lending my support to this initiative,’ Minister Harris said. ‘It is an exciting opportunity for anyone looking to develop new skills and further their career. The hospitality, tourism, and catering industry is essential to the Irish economy, and unfortunately, it is also a sector that has been so heavily affected by the pandemic.
‘With this in mind, I welcome this training programme, which is the next phase in a drive to boost the hospitality, tourism, and catering workforce, and I look forward to hearing about the success of the future candidates on the programme.’
Group Managing Director of The Talbot Collection, Philip Gavin said that they were delighted to partner with KWETB and to have Minister Harris on board.
‘It is widely accepted that there is a shortage of professional chefs nationwide,’ he said. ‘Never has it been more important to invest in our future, for the future. We’re very excited to offer this unique and fantastic opportunity to cooking enthusiasts in our communities who wish to pursue a prosperous career as a professional chef.’
Anyone interested in applying for this opportunity can get in touch with KWETB by emailing trainingcourses@kwetb.ieto get more information.
