Shatec Institutes
| Category |
Culinary Institution of the Year
|
| Recipient Years |
2001, 2002, 2003, 2004
|
| Year Inducted |
2009
|
|
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The driving force behind Shatec Institutes is without doubt a group of motivated and determined individuals. They look ahead and position the institution as more than just another learning establishment. With an aspiration of establishing livelihoods and facilitating industry betterment in order to enrich society, one would understand the greatness that is Shatec Institutes. Today, it is a collection of seven institutes, geared towards providing quality education and training for the younger generation. From the Institute of Leisure & Tourism to the Institute of Lodging to the Institute of Culinary Arts, it has indeed built an excellent reputation, positioning itself to be Asia’s most famous and leading educational institution in hospitality and tourism.
Shatec Institutes’ array of academic staff is made up of the who’s who in their respective fields. With the main focus of nurturing the younger generation to be the best they can be, these remarkable academic staff have helped produced more chief executives, general managers, executive chefs, sommeliers and tourism entrepreneurs than any other hospitality institution in the region. This has made Shatec Institutes graduates instantly recognisable and immediately associated with success, esteem and admiration.
Being the pioneer institution dedicated towards quality education in the hospitality industry, Shatec Institutes is influential in shaping Singapore’s tourism manpower development. This has led to the institution’s recognition as Culinary Institution Of The Year for four consecutive years by the World Gourmet Summit Awards Of Excellence. It was also conferred the Most Outstanding Contribution To Tourism award by the Singapore Tourism Board in 1992. The list of achievements is endless and this has further cemented the fact that Shatec Institutes is ultimately the best.
Being a host of opportunities is the ambition for Shatec Institutes but perhaps, realising the dreams of so many is what is most significant. It is the place where visions are made, goals are set and aspirations are achieved.
Interview with Shatec Institutes
What does being in the World Gourmet Summit Hall Of Fame mean to your school?
As the only institution to have ever been inducted into the WGS Hall Of Fame, Shatec Institutes is extremely honoured at the industry recognition of our achievements. This induction represents a significant recognition of our dedication to achieving distinction as a premier culinary institution.
This win is made even more special as the past 12 months have seen us achieve many culinary milestones. To have our alumni accomplish outstanding results in many internationally-recognised competitions and events affirms our educational philosophy and commitment to contributing to the exciting development of Singapore’s culinary scene. The WGS Hall Of Fame award encompasses the spirit of all these stellar achievements and our continued efforts in honing outstanding and talented individuals that the industry duly recognises.
What do you hope to achieve in the near future?
We aim to continue nurturing and developing students who come under our wing for an exceptional education in hospitality and tourism lifestyle, strengthening our contribution towards human capital development and the establishment of livelihoods in the local and international tourism workforce. Currently, more than 26,000 hosts from over 20 countries have passed through our doors, and many have since gone on to achieve great success in their careers. We aspire to continue developing many more outstanding talents and industry greats by constantly refining our curriculum and standing fast to our educational philosophy that establishing qualities of an exceptional host is pivotal in building standout careers in the industry.
We aim to constantly improve our programmes and assure that they are closely aligned with industry needs and trends. Recognising the need for fast-track programmes that will gear hosts up with the necessary professional qualifications to make a splash in the industry, we have developed four new certificate programmes in hospitality operations, Western cuisine, Japanese cuisine and pastry and baking, that encourage hosts to take the first step towards a fulfilling and flourishing career.
How important to the school is the students’ exposure to the industry?
Established in 1983 to equip Singapore with a skilled tourism workforce, we have built a sterling reputation as the leading hospitality and tourism education provider in Asia. We played an instrumental role in moulding Singapore’s tourism manpower development, and received the most outstanding contribution to tourism award from the Singapore Tourism Board. In addition, as the training arm of the Singapore Hotel Association, developing skilled manpower for the tourism workforce will always be a key priority. Thus exposing our hosts to the industry and current trends and practices is an integral component part of our curriculum and teaching pedagogy. Internships with trusted partners and leading industry establishments also help develop our hosts to become well-rounded individuals with the consummate technical skills and genuine soft skills of good host.
On this front, through our industry collaborations, these play a significant role in providing our hosts with valuable hands-on experience. Recent noteworthy collaborations include – Shatec Institutes’ appointment as master caterer designate for Premier Park (Sports Hub project), event catering with SATS, and provision of trained manpower for the Youth Olympic Games in 2010.
What other plans are in the pipeline to bring your institute to world standards?
We launched Shatec Institutes Macau in January 2009, as part of our expansion strategy into new global markets. There we will deliver customised continuing education and specialist training programmes to Macau and mainland China’s fast-growing tourism and hospitality services sector. We are the very first hospitality and tourism lifestyle Private Education Institution (PEI) from Singapore to establish a base in Macau. Shatec Institutes views this venture as an avenue to pursue the numerous business growth opportunities in the Macau and mainland China markets and build our core business and brand. To replicate our success in Singapore in these new markets is a key goal that we aim to achieve with Shatec Institutes Macau.
With the move to our new campus next year, we will have an even greater platform to reach out to potential students and partners on an international level. With more established facilities at the new campus, the introduction of brand new specialist subjects alongside a strengthened curriculum, and more tie-ups with renowned international establishments, we are expanding on our in-house expertise in order to complement and contribute to the ever-changing global trends in the industry.
Earlier this year, Shatec Institutes introduced a Japanese cuisine curriculum, designed, developed and instructed by an authentic Japanese chef from Kyoto, a first in the region. A professional butler programme will also be formally rolled out later this year, helmed by a dedicated instructor who received specialist training at the Rick-Fink Butler Valet School in Oxfordshire. Developing new programmes that are strongly aligned with established international expertise and practices will ensure that our students and faculty members are constantly in touch with updated skills, knowledge and technical expertise that will stand them in good stead in the area of global industry best practices.
