Manurewa High School was announced winner of the Schools category at the Excellence in Training Awards 2012. The awards are organised by the Hospitality Standards Institute (hsi.co.nz), the industry training organization for hospitality. The awards recognise the country's top players in hospitality training. The awards were held at Auckland's Langham Hotel this week and were hosted by entertainer Jackie Clarke.
New Zealand schools provided tough competition in the schools category. Nearly twenty thousand students study hospitality at secondary schools around New Zealand, with many students entering careers as chefs or service professionals. Four schools made it to the finals and Manurewa High School came out on top, winning the Excellence in Training (Schools) award.
To be eligible for the awards, schools had to demonstrate outstanding achievement in all areas of hospitality, including investment in resources, teacher upskilling, employment/exam/competition success, pathways into tertiary programs, student demand for courses and innovative delivery or assessment methods. Schools also had to demonstrate evidence of industry relationships both within the classroom and in work experience situations.
Daisy Chandra, head of Manurewa High School's hospitality and catering department, is delighted with the win. "Our students always do well in hospitality competitions, and as a department we focus on providing the best hospitality training we possibly can. It's fabulous to be acknowledged as New Zealand's top provider of secondary school hospitality training."