Exec chef wants state-of-the-art culinary lab

Fay Dawkins has spent more than 20 years training hundreds of employees in the culinary arts, predominantly for the hospitality sector, and has made an unquestionably indelible mark on their lives.

Dawkins is the programme adviser at the HEART College of Hospitality Services in Runaway Bay, St Ann, as well as the executive chef at the Cardiff Hotel and Spa - a subsidiary of the college.

Her expert knowledge and high level of competence form part of the criteria that led to her being awarded the American Culinary Federation (ACF) evaluator certification.

She is also one of only three executive chefs in Jamaica to receive this globally recognised certification, through a joint venture between the Jamaica Centre of Tourism Innovation (JCTI) and other local and international certifying bodies.

Dawkins holds the view that the college would benefit significantly if a state-of-the-art culinary laboratory is established on site to better train students.

"If we are provided with additional resources and a high-end lab, more persons could benefit from training and certification," Dawkins emphasised.

As an ACF evaluator, Dawkins has the authority to assess other local chefs and award certification.

She believes that the Government has introduced the JCTI programme at the right time - a move she says that benefits the current workforce and one that will serve future generations for as long as it remains in place.

"Things will take time to evolve. I think the Ministry of Tourism has seen the need to upgrade the qualification and competency of persons who are trained for the hospitality industry by providing international certification," Dawkins noted.

MORE RECOGNITION

As a career hospitality worker and now an evaluator, Dawkins believes that should the entire industry workforce become certified over time, individuals would be treated with a higher level of respect and recognition in the workplace by both locals and visitors.

Some 91 participants, inclusive of recent college graduates and employees in the local hotel sector, have so far completed their examinations as Certified Hospitality Supervisors through the American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute. Thirteen other individuals have pursued ACF certification, while 25 academic staff and nine students have received Certified Hospitality Information Analytics certification.

"With more Jamaicans receiving training and international certification, it would eliminate the practice of some employers employing foreigners to fill local vacancies," she observed.

Dawkins said she has been personally encouraging her staff, as well as other workers in the industry, to become trained and certified through the JCTI programme as this can only advance their personal growth and development.