Entries Sought For Young Chefs With The X Factor
People 1st, in partnership with the Department for Employment and Learning, is pleased to announce the launch of a prestigious new Hospitality Skills Competition in Northern Ireland for Cookery which has been designed to identify and select potential young chef talent to go forward for Worldskills 2011.
WorldSkills is a global network of approximately 50 countries who participate in trade and skills competitions. Every two years the World Skills International community competes on the global stage to showcase and raise the standards of their country's skills. London will host the competition in October 2011 which will see 1200 competitors from 60 Nations competing across 40 skills areas over 4 days.
Entries are now being invited for the Northern Ireland feeder competition which will be held as a one day event on 25th March 2009 at Southern Regional College, Newry to select candidates to go forward for the UK Cookery Screening final for Team UK.
Roisin Mckee, Northern Ireland Manager with People 1st said: “We are looking for individuals who have that spark, energy and passion that will see them excel to the very top of their profession now and in the future.
"This competition gives all our young chefs a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate their culinary skills at an event designed to showcase the very best talent that Northern Ireland has to offer and we look forward to seeing them in action.
"Northern Ireland has a great tradition of winning skills competitions in cookery and in doing so have raised the standards for all in our sector. This competition provides an excellent platform and a chance for young chefs both in industry and college to rise to magnificent heights on a world stage under the auspices of WorldSkills International."
Skills Minister, Sir Reg Empey, added “My Department's aim is to promote and build a solid skills base throughout Northern Ireland. We are delighted to be supporting craft competitions such as this which help celebrate skills excellence, inspire young people and provide them with an opportunity to showcase their skills and talent. As well as helping to improve sector attractiveness for tourism and hospitality, it will also contribute to lifting standards of training and performance by promoting world class skills.”
So have you got the recipes and skills to be one of our winners and help to represent Northern Ireland among the top cooks and chefs in the world?
If you are in Northern Ireland, a chef in industry or a student from college and will be under 23 years of age on or after January 1st 2011 (i.e born on or after 1st January 1989) we want to talk to you now. More information on the competition and entry forms are available at www.hospitalityskillsni.org.uk
The competition is being sponsored by the Department for Employment & Learning (DEL), Stephens Catering & Calor Gas and co-ordinated by leading local Chef Patron Sean Owens on behalf of People 1st and in conjunction with Southern Regional College.
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