Economy Ministry and Hilton team up to train culinary professionals for hotel industry
Course materials include a range of theoretical subjects including materials science, nutrition, food sanitation and menu development.
By LIDAR GRAVÉ-LAZIBreakfast at the Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem is an expensive but exquisite experience.(photo credit: PR)
The Economy Ministry has teamed up with Hilton Hotels Israel to train professionals in culinary arts for the hotel industry.As part of the initiative, Hilton Hotels will hold two professional training courses in the field of culinary arts in 2015 – an investment of NIS 1 million The courses, to hold some 50 students, will be taught using a work-study model – combining training with practical work – and will take place at the Tel Aviv Hilton, where the hotel’s best chefs will provide instruction.Anna Gluck, director of Vocational Training and Manpower Development at the Economy Ministry, welcomed the “new and experimental” project and said that, “a training model in which employers join forces with the government and demonstrate responsibility and involvement, is a model that promises high-quality and high-level employment to the graduates.”“Training job seekers and discharged soldiers, for work required by the labor market, helps not only the employees, but also the hotel chains, which are still feeling the effects of the crisis in the industry following Operation Protective Edge,” she said.“Hilton Israel has chosen to believe in the country’s tourism industry and, with a view to the long-term, elected to be a part of this joint initiative to develop a culinary corps for the Israeli hotel industry,” added Gluck.The first course is set to begin later this month with student selection and recruitment already under way. Course materials include a range of theoretical subjects including materials science, nutrition, food sanitation and menu development, as well as hands-on kitchen basics, national cuisines, ethnic food, the gourmet kitchen, institutional cooking, the foundations of patisserie and desserts, food decoration, food presentation and more.The training is supervised and funded by the Vocational Training Department at Economy Ministry. Students who pass the final examinations (theory and practical) will be awarded a state-authorized stage 1 certification in culinary arts from the Economy Ministry.After completing the training, the 20 top graduates will receive a job working in one of Israel’s Hilton hotels: Hilton Tel Aviv, Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem or Hilton Eilat Queen of Sheba, while the remainder will receive assistance in finding employment.“There has been an increasing demand over the years for professionals in the field of culinary arts in our hotels in Israel and worldwide. We feel there is great young human potential in Israel and it should be nurtured immediately after military service, instead of importing professional chefs from overseas,” said Gilad Shloush, Hilton Israel’s director of human resources.
