International culinary and hospitality school Le Cordon Bleu is expanding in Australia with the launch of a new institute in Brisbane, supported by a $3.7 million Queensland Government investment.
Le Cordon Bleu will be located in TAFE Queensland’s South Bank campus and will offer globally recognised culinary and patisserie courses from July this year.
Le Cordon Bleu president Andre Cointreau says he is delighted to be working with TAFE to bring Le Cordon Bleu to Queensland.
“I’ve been highly impressed by the quality of facilities and staff at the Southbank Campus of TAFE Queensland,” he says.
“Le Cordon Bleu has been working with the hospitality sector in Queensland for many years and our expansion into the state has been driven by our local partners requesting more of our graduates to assist in the rapid development of the industry.”
Le Cordon Bleu CEO Derrick Casey says the Brisbane Institute will continue to spur growth across the Australian hospitality sector which is currently worth more than $24.3 billion.
“The hospitality industry makes a strong contribution to Queensland’s economy and we’ll be supporting this by teaching culinary excellence to future qualified chefs,” he says.
“Le Cordon Bleu’s new Brisbane Institute will offer students both practical and theoretical training, providing them with the opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills while building industry networks and relationships.”
Le Cordon Bleu programmes will include: Diplôme de Cuisine (Certificate III in Commercial Cookery), Diplôme de Pâtisserie (Certificate III in Pâtisserie) and Diplôme Avancé De Gestion Culinare (Advanced Diploma of Hospitality Management).
“These three new programmes will offer local students the opportunity to learn from some of the world’s best culinary experts,” says TAFE Queensland interim CEO Mary Campbell.
“This partnership will give our teachers the opportunity to deliver the Le Cordon Bleu program and support the students with vocational placement direct into local industry,” she said.
The Brisbane Institute will join existing Le Cordon Bleu schools in Melbourne Sydney, Adelaide and 35 more institutes worldwide.
Image: (L-R) Dr Paul Wilson (TAFE general manager, Brisbane Region), Mary Campbell (Interim CEO of TAFE Queensland), Tom Milligan (Le Cordon Bleu technical director for Australia), Shannon Fentiman (Minister of Employment and Small Business) and Derrick Casey (CEO of Le Cordon Bleu).