Kitchen Hands puts local training on camp menu

Momase

STAFF of Seven Kitchen Hands at the Wafi-Golpu Project camp are being trained in the areas of catering, bakery, food safety, hospitality, and occupational health and safety.
The hands-on training programme is being run by catering and camp services contractor National Catering Services (NCS).
National Catering Services’ Wafi-Golpu site manager, Casper Auro, said the training would improve the quality of service.
“NCS has an established training department dedicated to delivering foundation learning skills in literacy and numeracy, trade skills in cookery and bakery, hospitality (and) accommodation services and business management skills,” he said.
“Integrated into each are workplace health and safety units. There are qualified specialist trainers whose focus is the up-skilling of local employees.”
Being trained are staff members from the project’s three landowner tribes — Hengambu, Yanta and Babuaf.
Paul said the trainees would be certified to Asia Pacific Training Centre (APTC) standard.
“So far, they’ve completed modules on hygiene practices for food safety, cleaning of kitchen premises and equipment, use of food preparation equipment, and preparing simple dishes,” he said.
Trainees Kevin Andy and Gibunsung Kikala said that even though they had no formal education this training programme had helped them improve their skills and knowledge and promised a better future with the company.
Said Auro: “They’ve been in training since last year and once completed they would be qualified internally as cooks. This will be a huge achievement for them.”
Wafi-Golpu Project’s administration coordinator, Kailene Chanei, has been impressed with some of the appetizers and salads she tasted.
“What the trainees prepared was very tasty and the presentation was such you would find in hotels. Well done,” she said.
“I am proud that through Wafi-Golpu Project, NCS is able to make a change in these young locals’ future livelihood through such training.”
2018 will see the introduction of a new NCS vocational learning centre in Malahang, Lae. It will have a fully equipped kitchen, bakery and training room with a computer lab. NCS are discussing partnership strategies with NTC and APTC to deal with accreditation.