RAI Calls for the Crisis Shortage of Chefs to be Tackled

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                

Tuesday July 28 2015, Dublin, Ireland.

• Shortage of Chefs has now reached crisis levels, and threatens the Hospitality Industry.
• 5,000 new chefs urgently required each year by 2020.
• Restaurants Association call for the re-establishment of CERT, the former State Tourism Training Agency.

The Restaurants Association of Ireland (RAI) says that there is now a crisis in the shortage of chefs in the country, and an investment in training is needed urgently.  The organisation is calling on the Minister for Education to re-establish CERT, the former State Tourism Training Agency, with immediate effect.

The RAI state that the vast majority of jobs in the hospitality sector relate directly to the food services sector with 24,700 employed as chefs in 2014.  The main skills shortages are among suitably qualified chefs.  Shortages of commis chefs feed into shortages at higher and specialist levels.  Among the applicants submitted for chef positions, many are deemed not to be appropriately qualified.  This reflects the fact that there is not enough chef training centres.  Currently 1800 chefs qualify each year from certified culinary training programmes.  There is an immediate deficit of 5000 chef trainees annually.

The RAI recommends investment in management and the establishment of 10 new chef training centres nationally.  CERT, the State Tourism Training Agency, was established in 1963.  CERT was responsible for providing a trained workforce for the hotel, catering and tourism industry. It offered training courses for those wishing to pursue a career in this field and for employees in the industry who wanted to develop new skills.  It was abolished in May 2003.

Speaking on the crisis, Chief Executive Adrian Cummins commented, “CERT, the Former National Tourism Training Agency was established in 1964.  It ceased to operate and was closed down in May 2003.  The restaurant sector are calling for the immediate re-establishment of CERT, which the tourism and hospitality sector held in high esteem while it was operational.  It was fit for purpose and serviced the industry with skilled labour during its operational years.”

Irish workers are accounted for 69% of employees in the Hospitality sector.  This highlights the importance of the industry.  Mr. Cummins continued, “We want to be able to market Ireland as a centre of food excellence, a true culinary experience with world-class chefs leading the way. Instead, we are finding ourselves in a position where we have a severe shortage of chefs in Ireland which is now threatening growth and expansion in the restaurant sector.”

ENDS

For further information contact:

C/o Restaurants Association of Ireland

11 Bridge Court,

Citygate,

St. Augustine Street,

Dublin 8.

Telephone: +353 1 6779901

Mobile: +353 86 8263311

Fax: +353 1 6718414

Email:

Website: www.rai.ie