HSI Excellence in Training Award winners are....
MEDIA RELEASE:
Category winners for the awards announced on Monday were:
HSI Supreme Award for Excellence in Training and Innovation
Soul Bar & Bistro, Auckland
Registered Workplace Assessor of the Year
Sue Bartlett, FIGJAM Creations Ltd
Excellence in Training: Organisation
Millennium Hotels & Resorts, Nationwide
Excellence in Training School
Papakura High School, Auckland
Excellence in Training: Training Provider (workplace partnerships)
The Career Planning Centre (T/A Career Network)
Hospitality Tutor of the Year
Jay Chapman, TREEHOUSE
Excellence in Training: Workplace (café, bar, restaurant)
Soul Bar & Bistro, Auckland
Excellence in Training: Workplace (accommodation)
Copthorne Hotel Durham Street, Christchurch
Excellence in Training: Workplace (catering)
Department of Corrections – Canterbury Regional Prison
Excellence in Training: Qualification Pathways
NorthTec, Northland
Training Product of the Year
e-Blended Learning Solutions Ltd, New Plymouth
Workplace Trainer of the Year
Bob Thomas, Artisan Consulting
NZ-UK Link Cookery Modern Apprentice of the Year
Thomas Williams, The George Hotel, Christchurch
Southern Hospitality Food and Beverage Modern Apprentice of the Year
Morgan Matich, SKYCITY, Auckland
Auckland Viaduct’s Soul Bar & Bistro scooped top honours at the hospitality industry’s national training awards on Monday night, picking up the HSI Supreme Award for Excellence in Training and Innovation.
The awards, organised by the Hospitality Standards Institute (HSI), recognise the country’s top players in hospitality training.
Soul’s Co-owner/General Manager Judith Tabron also joined an illustrious group of New Zealand hospitality figures by being awarded the title of “HSI Ambassador of the Year”.
Judith has built up a successful career as a chef and restaurateur around the world after starting as a cookery apprentice at the age of 16. Her HSI Ambassador status recognises her commitment to mentoring young hospitality talent.
Soul’s strong focus on training across all areas of their business saw them take the award for Excellence in Training in a café, bar or restaurant. The popular restaurant offers modern apprenticeships and traineeship programmes in both cookery and food and beverage, as well as leadership training for managers.
HSI’s Chief Executive Steve Hanrahan says the Supreme Award winner shows that having skilled staff can provide a competitive advantage. “In the customer-oriented hospitality industry, having great service and top-quality food is key. Soul has invested in both, and their solid training programmes upskill their staff and provide customers with the best experience possible,” Mr Hanrahan says.
Other award winners included Papakura High School, who offer students a new HSI Marae Catering qualification as part of their hospitality courses, and won the Excellence in Training: School Award. Millennium Hotels & Resorts was also recognised for their nationwide excellence in training in an organisation.
Mr Hanrahan says the awards acknowledge the achievements of hospitality trainers, employers and training organisations throughout New Zealand. “It’s fantastic to see these deserved winners recognised for their hard work and commitment to training. The standards of the award finalists are getting higher every year and HSI are also working hard to ensure New Zealand has a skilled hospitality industry in the future,” Mr Hanrahan says.
The awards formed part of HSI’s Annual Conference, held at Auckland’s SKYCITY. Keynote speakers included Mark Hawthorne, Managing Director of McDonald’s New Zealand; Debbie Mayo-Smith, a productivity expert; Chief Executive of Business New Zealand, Phil O’Reilly; author and learning specialist, Gordon Dryden; and Zac de Silva, Managing Director of Barkers Men’s Clothing.
As the hospitality industry’s training organisation (ITO), HSI leads access to training and qualifications for the hospitality industry, including overseeing, supervising, assisting and reviewing all nationally recognised training for chefs, waiters, baristas, bar persons, porters, hotel receptionists, room-attendants, house-keepers, supervisors and managers.
HSI also provides support and guidance to schools, polytechnics and providers that teach and assess Unit Standards through hospitality courses.
