The South Australian Liberal party has pledged $60 million to an international culinary school on the site of the old Royal Adelaide Hospital if they win the March state election.
Adelaide’s Le Cordon Bleu campus and TAFE hospitality programs available in the northern suburbs will be moved to one school, according to opposition leader Steven Marshall.
“We want this new site to be a beacon for international students and a great employer for South Australians,” says Marshall.
Restaurant & Catering Australia has welcomed the possibility, with R&CA CEO Juliana Payne stating the new school could help produce the local talent needed to sustain employment growth within the hospitality sector.
“The hospitality sector is undoubtedly one of the bright spots of the South Australian economy, but the benefits of the sector’s growth can’t be sustained unless there is significant government investment in training local students,” says Payne.
Payne also says the establishment of the new school would assist in addressing the current deficit in skilled labour adversely affecting the state’s hospitality sector.
“One of the biggest issues across the entire sector is a chronic shortage of skilled labour, particularly among the occupations of cooks, chefs and café and restaurant managers.”
“The café and restaurant sector is changing constantly and this new school will help ensure its graduates are armed with the finest, most up-to-date skills to showcase South Australia’s hospitality industry to the rest of the world.”
Image credit: The Adelaide Review