Hospitality Business Magazine

Keen hospitality experts wanted

The future of the New Zealand hospitality & tourism sectors requires your knowledge NOW!

The New Zealand Culinary Arts Development Trust is seeking keen hospitality experts to show leadership and direction for upcoming students across all aspects of the industry, to join the 2023 team.

Position/Role: Competition Committee Member.
Term: 1 year (annual, option to reapply each year).
Positions Available: 5 – 6 Committee Members Nationwide (no set location).
Salary: ‘Voluntary’ (with perks, good vibes and warm fluffies for helping the next generation of culinary professionals).

The ‘Culinary Arts Development Trust’ (CADTrust) is an independent, charitable trust responsible for providing support and resources to enable New Zealanders to investigate and embark on hospitality career pathways. The CADTrust is responsible for overseeing and administering the funds to support Regional and National culinary arts competitions and annual culinary journey.

The CADTrust has two trustees, Mark Wylie and Glenn Fulcher, whom both work in the hospitality sector. Their roles within the trust provide governance, guidance and support the Competition Committee achieve their annual goals.

Background:
The CADTrust was formed in March 2016 has been running the NSSCC and NZCJ for the past 6 years (prior to that is was run for 3 years by City & Guilds Pacific). In 2019 the trust formed a ‘Competition Committee’ to start the journey to hand over competition operations and logistics. However due to global pandemics, the trustees have remained active committee members, both organising Regional and National events with the support of a small committee.

Check out www.nsscc.nz for more information on past events.

The role and what’s expected:
The Competition Committee role is a voluntary role. The trust is seeking hospitality professionals who love their industry and what to give back through culinary competitions and industry visits.
There are two main events the Competition Committee oversee and organize:

  1. National Secondary School Culinary Competition (NSSCC)
  2. New Zealand Culinary Journey (NZCJ)

In its current format, the Competition Committee meets once a month from February to April and then fortnightly (where needed) from June to September each year. These meetings are conducted online over MS TEAMS and require some technical ability. They are approximately 60 minutes in length and a further * 2 hours a week (estimated and can be adjusted with applicants’ abilities (both time and skills) to suit). *NOTE: This commitment shrinks and grows through the year depending on event schedules.

The committee investigates and onboards sponsors, develop and implements an online regional event to find the 8 teams to compete at the National Final, builds a judging panel for both Regional and National events, organizes travel and accommodation, prizes, works with schools across New Zealand and plans and implements the NZ Culinary Journey where National Finalists visit local hospitality businesses and suppliers.

Other responsibilities include basic budgeting, communication plans, working with a marketing and social media paid role (also up for renewal) and more support activities to ensure events run smoothly.

It’s important to note that this event has run over many years, and although it always keeps redeveloping and adjusting to remain relevant, there is a sound and trusted model with templates and procedures in place.

What the trust needs:
The trust is looking for 5 to 6 Voluntary Committee Members who have some of the following skills;
• Hospitality Industry experience
• Competition experience (can be small or large)
• Organisational skills – be the person who loves to organize people, have skills to bring to the committee like; Online computer ability, event registration experience, working as a team to allocate and compete tasks
• Work well within timeframes
• Marketing and or social media experience (1 x member to be strong in this field)
• Enjoy working with the next generation (competitors ages between 15 and 18 years of age)
• Knowledge of Secondary Schools, particularly NCEA credits in hospitality
• Strong professional networks and industry contacts – critical to the events
• ‘Can do’ and ‘Make stuff happen’ attitude
• Work within and manage budgets
• Previous Sponsorship or Marketing experience within a not-for-profit organisation (1 x member to be strong in this field)
• Work well with others in a small committee with a common goal
• Affinity with the goals of the Culinary Arts Development Trust

If any of these things sounds like you and you really want to help the hospitality sector grow and retain amazing young staff, then please get off your butt and apply for this role. Again, it is voluntary, however the rewards are endless.

The Trusts new committee (some past members will be applying and possibly retained) will have the scope to understand, develop and grow these events (and possibly more) to a new level of engagement. Exciting times are ahead and the current format is ready to explode.
The time is now.

Applications for these roles close 31st January 2023. The trust looks forward to receiving your application. Please email your application (covering letter and small hospitality CV) to glenn.fulcher@outlook.co.nz .