MoU signed to improve professional cookery skills

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed by Vocational Training Authority (VTA) and the Australian Government-funded Skills for Inclusive Growth Program (S4IG) managed by Palladium, with a view to improving the standards of professional cookery skills within the tourism and hospitality sector, VTA said.

Chairman – Vocational Training Authority Eranga Basnayake and Team Leader of Skills for Inclusive Growth David Ablett, represented the two parties at this occasion. According to respective organizational mandates, parties agreed to cooperate and work to deliver improved professional cookery training with the industry partner the Chef Guild of Sri Lanka.

The MOU outlined the mechanism to deliver improved professional cookery, pastry, bakery, and confectionery training across Sri Lanka. The MOU further highlighted the provision of technical assistance and support towards a more flexible, relevant skills system responsive to the tourism industry to improve employment outcomes, incomes, and service standards.

S4IG will assist VTA with support from CGSL to enhance and up-skill 80 existing chefs ensuring improved opportunities within the industry. Additionally, the MOU provides for the piloting of the professional pastry, bakery, and confectionery courses at selected VTA training centres of Polonnaruwa, Ahangama, Ambegoda, and Kuchchaveli. The results from the pilot project will be shared with VTA centres for replication across Sri Lanka. It was noted that a model of public-private linkages with the Chef Guild of Lanka will be applied to strengthen the quality of training delivery reflecting industry standards. VTA is to select trainees including women, people with disabilities, those from remote communities, and other marginalized groups for training and skills development enabling them to secure jobs.