Students
Hope To Cook Up a Better Future
She
has worked hared as a maid for years to pay $500 for a
cooking class in the hopes of a better job, or even
attaining a bigger dream: her own restaurant
"I've
had to save for a long time, and now I'm very hopeful,"
Om Savan, 29, said.
Om
Savan is one of 14 students who have started a yearlong
Certificate in Culinary Skills program supervised by the
Cambodia Hotel and Tourism Academy.
The program is the first of its kind.
"It's
our commitment for human resource and development to provide
World-class hotel operations to employers and people in the
business community," said Richard Helfer, CEO of
Raffles International Ltd, the company running the course.
Besides
the basics of world-class cuisine, which students will study
for six months in the classroom before moving on for
on-the-job training, the course also offers English language
classes and computer training as well.
"I
teach them basic Western and Asian food," said
instructor Melvyn Young Yew Yong, 46.
"They should work about one or two more years,
and then they open a restaurant by them selves within the
next five years."
The
group hopes to get more NGO support for future programs so
that more Cambodians can take advantage of the training.
Government
leaders are enthusiastic about the class.
"This
is another important step to grow industry by building a
human-resources foundation so that we can move
forward," said Veng Sereyvuth, minister of tourism.
Although
the classes only started four weeks ago, some of the
students already are brimming with self-confidence.
"I
will work in an international restaurant for a few
years," said Lim Boravy, 21. "I will open a
restaurant later on."
The Cambodia
Daily- February, 2001
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