THE City of Mandurah is getting behind a proposal to develop a Peel Hospitality Institute.
The council voted unanimously last night to invest $40,000 for development of a business case to attract both State and Federal Government funding to support the proposal.
Mayor Rhys Williams said he visualised a state of the art hospitality training centre in the CBD.
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READ NOW“I see this as a place where young people will learn to become commercial chefs and skilled at all aspects of the hospitality industry,’’ he said.
“A place that not only serves our own young people but also attracts students from the metropolitan area.”
There are currently 7200 jobs in hospitality and tourism in the Peel region which represents 21 per cent of the total workforce, projected to grow to 9400 by 2050.
Mr Williams said there had been a huge increase – 153 per cent – in the number of trainees and apprenticeships for people living in the Peel and 68 per cent of those trained outside the region.
“I want to provide them with the chance to train and ultimately work in Mandurah,’’ he said.
“Given that our youth unemployment currently sits at around 18.8 per cent, this proposal represents an important opportunity for our young people in the future.’’
Cr Lynn Rodgers described the proposal as a step in the right direction.
“We need to get our people job ready ‘’ she said.
Cr Dave Schumacher said Mandurah had lost a number of TAFE courses in the last few years.
The institute would provide training to entry level in the hospitality industry to help with the difficult youth unemployment situation in Mandurah and surrounding areas.
The business case would explore options relating to the delivery model, location of the institute, new build versus extension of an existing facility, qualification types and the potential for a food hub or culinary school.