Speech at Sunrice Globalchef Academy Graduation Ceremony
Mr Hawazi Daipi, Senior Parliamentary Secretary (Manpower and Health), The Gallery, Fort Canning Park
Mrs Kwan Lui, Founder and Director of At-Sunrice GlobalChef Academy
Distinguished Guests
Graduates of At-Sunrice GlobalChef Academy and Family Members
Ladies and Gentlemen
Good Morning,
1. It gives me great pleasure to be here today for the At-Sunrice GlobalChef Academy Graduation Ceremony. This ceremony signifies the beginning of an important phase for the graduates. You and your families have every reason to be proud. Congratulations on your commencement.
Opportunities for growth in the Food and Beverage (F&B) Industry
2. Over the years, our palates have taken on greater diversity, thereby enriching our culinary experiences. Today, we have added sashimi, linguine, duck confit, fajitas, and brie cheese to our nasi lemak, char kway teow, chicken rice, roti prata and dau hway. Twenty years ago, many of us probably had never eaten sushi before. Today, not only is it familiar to most of us, it is also readily available and affordable. That illustrates the increasing diversity and accessibility of international culinary offerings in Singapore.
3. Recently, Mr Jean-Luc Naret, director of the renowned Michelin guide on restaurants announced at the World Gourmet Summit in April that they were considering a Singapore edition of the Michelin guide. International recognition is timely given the number of top restaurants here, and the successful experimentation by our top chefs in fusing our traditional cuisines with international cuisines, and in the process coming up with new and award winning recipes.
4. Dining concepts will keep evolving to cater to our increasingly sophisticated, more demanding and cosmopolitan society. Chefs today continue to experiment and try new recipes, mixing the best from the East and West in ways previously un-imaginable. As a result, today, there is strong demand for well-trained chefs. Singaporean chefs-to-be can therefore look forward to exciting job opportunities and career prospects.
5. The Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) was established to help our workers advance in skills and contribute to the growth of industries such as F&B. At the end of 2007, 4,400 adults have been trained in the F&B WSQ since its launch in 2006. To give this effort a boost, the Prime Minister has also launched the National Continuing Education and Training (CET) Masterplan earlier this year. The Masterplan will quadruple the training capacity of CET from 20,000 to 80,000 trainees a year.
F&B WSQ Training by At-Sunrice – A Hallmark of Quality Education
6. To attract more talent into the F&B industry, the Workforce Development Agency (WDA) partnered with At-Sunrice GlobalChef Academy to offer a WSQ scholarship programme in 2006. This has allowed people from all walks of life and backgrounds to learn F&B skills and contribute to the vibrant F&B scene. Among today's graduates, we have 31-year old Hilary Chia who was formerly from the RSAF and 42-year old Lucy Low, a former Administrative Clerk. Both have done well and impressed their employers with their creativity as well as discipline during their apprenticeships. Initially, many employers were skeptical about offering jobs or apprenticeship to such adult students. But I am happy to note that today, many employers seek out At-Sunrice's graduates. As a testimony of the industry's recognition of the quality and professionalism of At-Sunrice's trainees, 90% of trainees have secured a job in top restaurants and hotels both locally and overseas even before they graduate. Satisfied employers include the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Fullerton Hotel, SATS Catering, and the Tung Lok Group of Restaurants.
7. Furthermore, At-Sunrice graduates can enroll in the degree programme in Culinary Arts at the Johnson and Wales University, one of the top culinary schools in the US. This is a mark of recognition that At-Sunrice is able to deliver culinary arts training comparable to the best in the world.
Nurturing World Class Culinary Talents
8. Quality and work-readiness are attributes associated with At-Sunrice WSQ graduates given the institute's emphasis on nurturing talents. 32-year old Andrew Ng was another recipient of the WSQ scholarship to upgrade his skills at At-Sunrice. The work-study format of the programme offered by At-Sunrice gave Andrew the opportunity to spend six months learning western cuisine with Iggy's restaurant and another six months at Sho-U restaurant. It was this unique apprenticeship offering a blend of culinary techniques of the East and West, Old and New which helped Andrew win a Bronze medal at this year's Food and Hotel Asia Culinary Challenge. It was no mean feat as Andrew had to pit himself against hundreds of professional chefs from over 20 countries. Andrew's achievement should encourage and inspire others to excel and help Singapore make her mark in the global culinary arena.
9. Another important ingredient of At-Sunrice's success is the support given by industry practitioners under its mentor-chef programme. I want to commend top chefs such as Chef Kenny Yeo – from the Sentosa Leisure Group, Chef Julien Bompard from Le Saint Julien restaurant, Chef Patrick Heuberger from Au Petit Salut French Restaurant, Chef Emmanuel Stroobant from Saint Pierre Restaurant and many others for their personal involvement and the many hours they have spent in helping nurture the next generation of talents for the industry.
Carve Out Opportunities for Yourself
10. I have this message for the graduates today. You have taken a big step to make a career in the F&B industry. The training you received has equipped you with skills and qualifications that will give you a head start in your culinary careers. I commend you on your perseverance and hard work in completing your training. With so many exciting and challenging opportunities out there awaiting you, I challenge all of you to seize opportunities and dare to be different. Go with your instincts, and carve out opportunities for yourself. Continue to persevere, and you will achieve your goals.
11. And when you succeed, I urge you to contribute back to society by guiding and mentoring your juniors, just like how you have been mentored during this course.
12. My congratulations once again to all the graduates today on your achievements. I wish you all a successful and rewarding journey ahead.