EP Magazine

New strategy for ethnic chefs

Proposed qualifications for training chefs in ethnic cuisine are part of a strategy to ensure that more people can be trained in the UK. Lara Eade reports

Asian and Oriental restaurants are set to benefit from a new range of qualifications specifically for chefs who wish to specialise in specific ethnic cuisines, following a recent review from sector skills council, People 1st.

From August 2010, a new work-based professional chef qualification will feature career development routes for Indian, Bangladeshi, Chinese and Thai cuisines, including units on dim sum, noodles, spices and herbs, and using a tandoor.

The qualifications are part of ongoing work from People 1st to put development routes in place for chefs working in Asian and Oriental cuisine, in response to calls from the government’s Migration Advisory Committee (MAC).

In 2008, skilled chefs were put on the government’s shortage occupation list, meaning that ethnic restaurants currently do not have to advertise positions for chefs earning over £18,000 per year across the European Union, to prove that there is no one else available, before recruiting from outside Europe.

The decision was made by the MAC and was supported by a submission from People 1st, which showed that 94 percent of ethnic restaurants felt it would be detrimental to their business to withdraw work permits from non-EU workers.

However, the MAC has since added a new requirement for recruits to have three year’s relevant experience, and has indicated that it is mindful to remove skilled chefs from the Shortage Occupation List in autumn 2010 unless there is a coherent strategy in place to train chefs from the UK.

The Prime Minister has also asked for realistic timescales to be put forward as to when substantial numbers of Asian and Oriental chefs will be trained in the UK, and when the occupation can be taken off the Shortage Occupation List.

With this in mind, People 1st has put together an Ethnic Chefs Strategy, launched at the second Ethnic Chefs Summit at the Houses of Parliament at the end of January. At the meeting, chaired by skills minister, Kevin Brennan, and tourism minister, Margaret Hodge, People 1st discussed the actions within the strategy with influential employers from the Asian and Oriental restaurant sector and other key partners including the National Skills Academy for Hospitality, the Learning and Skills Council and JobCentre Plus, and agreed action points going forward.

Cyrus Todiwala OBE, executive chef of Café Spice Namaste, attended the summit and recognises the importance of making progress against the strategy. He commented: “It is essential to build rapidly on the joint government and industry work that has already started, and to demonstrate commitment to the long term strategy to the MAC.”

The work in creating specialist entry routes for different cuisines should enable Asian and Oriental restaurateurs to identify UK talent to fill future chef vacancies – something that has previously been very difficult for those businesses.

It intends to extend the newdevelopment pathways to other ethnic cuisines to meet different employer needs and provide a greater choice for catering students.

People 1st’s ethnic chefs project manager, Dan Power, commented: “The new qualifications truly reflect the diverse nature of the UK’s restaurant market and have been developed following an indepth consultation and review with key employers on our Asian and Oriental industry advisory panel.

“We will continue to work with industry, government and education to ensure that progress is made against the strategy and that Asian and Oriental restaurants, which are major contributors to the revenue generated by the UK restaurant industry, continue to benefit from a pool of skilled chefs.”

With these measures put in place, it is now a case of waiting to see whether the MAC decides to remove skilled chefs from the Shortage Occupation List, and what the response of the ethnic catering industry is if that happens. Whatever the outcome, the introduction of professional pathways for Asian and Oriental chefs will provide an all important skills boost to those areas.