About 120 unemployed graduates will be receiving certificates for the successful completion of food health and safety quality management system Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) 22 000 and accommodation establishments training funded by the Department of Economic Development and Environmental Affairs (DEDEA) 2010 Projects Coordination unit.
The Eastern Cape Department of Economic Development and Environmental Affairs MEC, honourable Mcebisi Jonas will officially handover the HACCP ISO 22000 certificates to about 80 accommodation establishments and 40 unemployed graduates on Friday 25 September in the Nelson Mandela Bay. HACCP ISO 22000 is an international standard that seeks to ensure the integrity of the food supply chain which is imperative to guarantee world class quality service in all the accommodation establishments to the visitors coming in the Eastern Cape. This forms part of the legacy projects identified to leverage on the opportunities emanating from hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup™.
“The awarding of certificates to the graduates is as yet another victory and clear demonstration of our readiness to host 2010 FIFA World Cup. We are excited about this programme and congratulate all these young participants”, proudly boasted MEC Jonas.
The main focus of this programme is to capacitate tourism establishment owners and unemployed tourism graduates by providing them with world class training in order to strengthen the tourism sector in the Eastern Cape Province.
“The training is compatible to all sectors and in this particular case, our focus was on training tourism establishments to apply this requirement in order to be certified to cater for the influx of tourists who will visit the country in 2010. Through this assurance of the quality and standard of food in our hospitality amenities is guaranteed” said Vuyelwa Mantyi, the Acting Senior Manager for 2010 Projects Coordination unit.
“We have also trained unemployed graduates as food auditors where they will be placed in different sectors of the food industry to conduct audits in order to ensure compliance with quality food management standards” she added.
FIFA has for the first time allowed non-hotel accommodation establishments to be coopted into the accommodation services offered to the spectators of the world cup. For the tourism fraternity, the programme is a business imperative to increase competitiveness.
“The programme has changed the lives of unemployed graduates through creating opportunities and ensures their readiness for formally joining the hospitality industry and most notably to be self employed through utilising the skills they have obtained” says MEC Jonas.
The Department of Economic Development and Environmental Affairs (DEDEA) is well on its way to delivering the 2010 Readiness programme. Some of the key legacy projects of this initiative include; greening, skills and capacity building, enterprise development, tourism development, destination marketing and public awareness and Tourism Month as it is geared towards enhancing the tourism and hospitality industry concluded Mantyi.
The event will be held as follows:
Venue: St Georges Park Cricket Stadium, Biz Hub Indoor Centre, Nelson Mandela Bay (Provincial Host City)
Date: Friday, 25 September 2009
Time: 08h00
For enquiries contact:
Sixolile Makaula
Tel: 040 609 3299
Cell: 072 751 5001
Fax: 040 609 3211
E-mail: Sixolile.Makaula@deaet.ecape.gov.za
Issued by: Department of Economic Development and Environmental Affairs, Eastern Cape Provincial Government
23 September 2009
Source: Eastern Cape Provincial Government (http://www.ecprov.gov.za/)
