If you’d like a bite of a $21.3b industry, check out what awaits you in a Hospitality and Culinary career.
Every day in New Zealand, hundreds of thousands of coffees are served, and each year, millions of meals are prepared and enjoyed. The food and beverage, culinary, and hospitality trades are vital to airports and airlines, universities, care homes, hospitals, and the defence force. With the right skills, you can be part of a thriving sector.
MPTT offers scholarships to Māori and Pasifika to study Cookery, Bakery, and Food and Beverage at MIT and NZMA. The opportunities are limitless.
Although restaurants grab the media spotlight – especially in tighter times, these are trades that will always be essential. Hospitality and food careers have been at the heart of any community for as long as people have kept records. This resilience and stability will continue far into the future.
Feed your whānau for life
Craig Lucas, Head of School at MIT, says that you’ll gain skills for life when you learn cookery, bakery, or food and beverage.
“You can take your culinary journey to whatever part of the world you desire. Alternatively, you can stay in your own backyard, close to your roots, and provide for your whānau.
“The list of jobs is endless. They’re across cafes, restaurants, hotels, rest homes, cruise ships, and armed services.
“Food and food service is only one cog in the wheel of the hospitality industry. Food science, supply chains, and the small business sector also need people with skills in the trade.”
MPTT industry partner and one of New Zealand’s major food and support services providers is Compass Group NZ. The partnership gives our graduates an ideal pathway to head into employment. Sybrand Botes is their Talent Acquisition Manager and says they have new roles advertised every day.
“We have 4,000 staff currently working in NZ at 300+ locations and producing 18 million meals per year; we are always looking for people.”
“If you’re just stepping into hospitality, we’ve got your back. We believe in growing your future and helping you be the best you can be. From work placements and internships to permanent hiring of new graduates, we do it all!”
Go up in the world — and around it
Craig says career prospects in the industry are infinite; you can go as far as you want.
“Work hard, and you will be rewarded. You start at the bottom, but if you put in the hard yards, you’ll be noticed and move up the ranks quickly.
“At international hotel brands, you can climb the ladder in a company that looks after you all over the globe. Cruise ships are another opportunity to travel and have fun doing it. The benefits are amazing.
“NZ chefs are sought after in Europe, and this is where you can broaden your knowledge of different cuisines.”
Qualify for the sweetest salary
According to Craig, whether you’re a waiter, baker, or cook, the more qualified you are, the more pay you can demand. MPTT supports scholars to learn Culinary and Hospitality at MIT and NZMA.
This gives you the hands-on experience and theory to prepare you for work. We’ll give you financial help and support you to train. We’ll even help you find work when you finish.
When you’re fully qualified in cookery, you can officially call yourself a ‘chef.’ Executive Chefs can earn up to $162 per hour, or $140,000 per year. That means working up through the levels from Kitchen Hand to Commis Chef to Sous Chef.
Food and beverage staff can work up from the starting level of barista, waiter, or bartender. Eventually, you can move up to be a Duty Manager or Maître d’. The most senior roles, such as Food and Beverage Manager or Restaurant Manager, earn up to $140,000 a year in New Zealand.
Craig adds that baking is another booming industry in Aotearoa.
“More and more gourmet bakeries are popping up, particularly at farmers’ markets, and online baking-focused businesses are being established. Couple a baking certificate or diploma with a small business degree, and the world is your oyster.”
Enjoy choosing an employer that’s to your taste
Sybrand says Compass Group NZ designs its hiring around the candidate experience. With casual, part-time and full-time work available, you could consider gaining work experience while you study. Compass works hard to be the best choice for Māori and Pasifika students by building an inclusive culture and offering standout benefits.
“Today, 71% of our workforce is female, with women making up 69% of supervisory and management positions in our Defence contract workforce. Our New Zealand team includes over 50 nationalities. “
Their clients are just as varied and boast some of the most forward-thinking workplace cultures across the country. The list includes AirNZ, Qantas, all airport lounges, KiwiRail, ANZ, Southern Cross, Bupa, Massey, Victoria University and sports stadiums such as Forsyth Barr.
Fair pay is another focus for Compass Group NZ. “We believe that fair wages are fundamental to creating quality employment opportunities and ensuring the wellbeing of workers.
“Already, 98% of our employees are on the living wage as a minimum, and we’re aiming for 100% by the end of this year.”
Compass Group NZ employees have access to a generous package of extra benefits. We’ve reached out to various businesses to see how we can make our employees’ lives that much better. This means staff can access special pricing and discounts from brands such as LesMills, Specsavers and Lumino.
Sustainability and safety are priorities at Compass Group NZ — they were recognised for having the best safety performance across the entire global Compass Group family.
To find out about job opportunities at Compass, visit their website here.
If you like the sound of a career in Hospitality, Culinary, or Food and Beverage click here. To find out more about the MPTT scholarship and how to apply click here.
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