CHS hosts Skills Development Project graduation ceremony

The Capital Hotel School and Training Academy recently hosted the Pretoria Graduation Ceremony of the SA Tourism Skills Development Project in collaboration with the South Africa Chefs Association (SACA).  The successful candidates received the City & Guilds Certificate in Basic Food Preparation and Cooking.

“A total number of 800 young adults were trained at various approved training centres in South Africa with an excellent pass rate of 77.28%,” says Thomas Overbeck, the project manager of the National Youth Chefs Training Programme (NYCTP). “We are particularly proud of the 152 who passed with Merit and 38 students who passed with Distinction.”

This year a group of 300 successful candidates from the pilot project will be selected to do the CATHSETA (Culture, Arts, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport Education and Training Authority) Advanced Certificate course. This second phase of the 2011 NYCTP project is currently in process and 500 candidates are being selected to go through for interviews.

On behalf of her fellow students, Charmaine Mamiane, one of the graduates, delivered an inspiring speech. Ronel Bezuidenhout, principal and director of CHS (and an experienced hotelier) said of her: “This young woman is such an example to all of us. Despite many challenges in her life, she chose to seize the opportunity that the NYCTP provided. Keeping her positive attitude, I know that Charmaine will be a huge success in the industry.”

Dignitaries that attended the function included SACA president Stephen Billingham (also a director of CHS) and Ms Bulelwa Seti, chief director of Capacity Development within the National Department of Tourism.