1 NOVEMBER 2000
GOVERNMENT SIGNS UP FIRST MODERN APPRENTICES AT SKY CTIY
Minister of Social Services and Employment Steve Maharey today announced that two junior chefs from Sky City in Auckland
will be the first hospitality apprentices appointed under the Government’s Modern Apprenticeships Scheme. The move is
significant in an industry which has not traditionally offered full apprenticeships, yet provides substantial employment
and tourism earnings for the country.
Joseph Tahaafe (19 years) and Elliot Hammond (18 years) were welcomed by the Minister into the Government-initiated
scheme at a ceremony in Sky Tower’s ‘Sky Lounge’ this afternoon.
Joseph Tahaafe, a recent graduate from Auckland Hotel and Chef School, spent his weekends and school holidays juggling
jobs as a kitchen hand at the Aotea Centre and for a large catering company to gain experience. Earlier this year the
former Mt Roskill Grammar School student approached Sky City’s Executive Chef Warren Bias and asked for work experience
in the company’s kitchens. He has been with Sky City ever since.
Fellow apprentice Eliott Hammond, who attended Westlake Boys High School, always knew he wanted to work with food. Jobs
in a Parnell café and West Auckland restaurant saw quick promotions, no doubt due to the enthusiasm and commitment he
still displays, often coming in to work at Sky City on his days off to gain experience in other areas of the kitchens.
Sky City has committed to the scheme, which encourages trades-based business to re-launch the concept of
apprenticeships, as it believes such training is an essential ingredient in lifting hospitality and service standards
across the industry.
“Developing talent within the industry is particularly important in ensuring the market meets the expectations of
international tourists, who contribute significantly to both the local and national economies,” says Terry Hilsz,
General Manager Food & Beverage at Sky City. “It’s also vital in improving overall industry standards and producing tomorrow’s world-beating
chefs,” he says.
Executive Chef Warren Bias agrees and says he and his team will do everything to see Sky City’s apprentices succeed.
“These are the leaders of the future in our industry,” he says. “We will do everything we can to help them achieve their
goals in this highly competitive industry. They are talented individuals who certainly have the passion and the ability
to be New Zealand’s top chefs in the future.”
Auckland gaming and entertainment operator Sky City is one of the largest food and beverage operations in New Zealand
and Terry Hilsz says this enables the organisation to offer apprentices a range of experiences across the spectrum of
hospitality services.
He believes the organisation has the ideal infrastructure to support apprentices with the academic component of the
qualification sitting well alongside the systematic industry training Sky City provides.
“The sheer diversity of our operation means that we offer something unique to the apprentices. During their three-year
apprenticeship they’ll experience work in a broad range of kitchen environments, from our café and brasserie operations
to fine dining, conferences and banqueting and a specialised ethnic cuisine restaurant. I don’t know of any other single
operation that could provide apprentices with this sort of exposure,” says Mr Hilsz.
Sky City was developing its own apprenticeship programme when the Government announced its intention to launch a similar
initiative on a national basis. Terry Hilsz approached the Government’s national implementation team on behalf of the
company to identify ways in which they might work together. The outcome saw Sky City involved as a pilot organisation
when the scheme was publicly announced in July this year.
The scheme, a new vocational and education pathway targeting 16-21 year olds, involves Modern Apprenticeships
Co-ordinators such as the Manukau Institute of Technology, which works with Sky City, providing recruitment and
placement services to assist employers to engage suitable people as Modern Apprentices.
The Government has set a target of having 3000 Modern Apprentices by the end of 2002 and will invest $42.2 million in
the initiative over the next four years. Sky City will appoint four further apprentices before the end of 2000.
Ends
For further information please contact:
DELWYN LEWER
Communications Executive, Sky City Limited
Tel: (09) 3636025 or (021) 669 413