The likes of Jamie Oliver, Nigella Lawson, Kylie Kwong and Gordon Ramsay may have helped funnel thousands of students into the country’s kitchens, but the current skills shortage gripping Australia is undeniably starting to bite. This is the consensus reached by Sydney-based hospitality college William Blue, which argues that the celebrity chef factor has done little to stem the crippling effects of the nation’s skills shortage. Jenny Jenkins, head of school at William Blue, says while celebrity chefs have helped raise the profile of the profession, combating the labour crisis is going to take more than just television shows alone. ”The enthusiasm and success of high-profile chefs such as Jamie Oliver helped to inspire young people to take on a career as a cook or a chef,” she said. ”But more than 3500 new commercial cooks, chefs, pastry chefs and bakers are needed each year, in addition to those currently in training.” With the skills shortage affecting a broad range of industries across the spectrum, Ms Jenkins says students are best primed for the competitive hospitality environment by participating in formalised training and on-the-job learning. Sunday Telegraph (Sydney), November 11.
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