Growing talent in New Zealand hospitality is what HSI is about. We develop products to upskill people to be the best they can be in their hospitality career; Here’s a look at some new training programmes we’ve just added to the menu.

What’s in a name?
Part of launching any new product is deciding what to call it. Ideally, the name should describe the purpose of the product.

So, what one word would describe a new HSI training programme that gives people a practical understanding, as well as common sense? HSI’s marketing team went straight to the dictionary to search one out, and found a word that summed the product up: savvy. Someone with knowledge, ability and nous is a savvy person. Those who sign up for the HSI Café Savvy, Bars & Clubs Savvy and Restaurant or Functions Savvy training programmes are on their way to being knowledgeable and capable of working in those hospitality business. It’s training on the job, so no need for time off, you will earn while you learn. When trainees complete these programmes, they gain the National Certificate in Hospitality Level 3, a qualification that is nationally recognised.

So what’s on the Savvy menu?
There are four options: The HSI Café Savvy qualification is for people who are starting work or working in cafés. It covers the knowledge and skills related to making coffee, food safety, personal presentation and greeting customers, dealing with customer complaints and providing sales and service opportunities. The  Bars and Clubs Savvy focus is on providing beverage services, personal presentation and greeting customers, providing sales and service opportunities and maintaining a responsible drinking environment. The  Functions Savvy covers food safety, customer service and functions service skills. The HSI Restaurant Savvy includes food safety, customer service, and restaurant service.

How long does it take?
Around 6 months, learning on the job.

How to enrol: talk to your local savvy Training Advisor. See who is in your region by clicking on www.hsi.co.nz/contacts

Eating food that is properly prepared and in a clean environment is critical to our health and to the livelihood of hospitality business. HSI has training programmes for professionals who need to practise and demonstrate knowledge of safe food handling, so that customers do not become ill, or worse, die because of action that has, or has not, been taken. Food safety is vital, whether handling food in schools, in workplaces and in the home.

HSI has a Basic and an Advanced Food safety training programme; great value for money given how much it could cost your business if your food safety practice is found to be unsafe.

There are three key topics (unit standards) to study, which cover food safety methods in a food business, knowledge of food contamination hazards and control methods used, and working under a food safety programme.

How long before you’d be up to speed on this vital subject? To achieve all three would take about 8-10 weeks, studying while you work. You’d gain a Certificate of Achievement.

How to enrol? Talk to your local HSI Training Advisor. See who is in your region by clicking on www.hsi.co.nz/contacts

For more details, it’s safe to click on the links below.

Basic Food Safety COA  |  Advanced Food Safety COA

We are what we eat. The focus on nutrition and diet is greater than ever. So keep up with this, and turn up the H.E.A.T - short for Healthy Eating Action and Training, and the name of a programme designed by HSI in conjunction with the Heart Foundation.

It will develop the basic knowledge of nutrition for people studying while working in a commercial hospitality establishment, the key topics covered are food groups, nutrients, energy and additives, dietary needs and guidelines and selecting appropriate menus.

How long before you’d qualify? Around three weeks

How to enrol: talk to your local Training Advisor. See who is in your region by clicking on www.hsi.co.nz/contacts

With the Big Event only 72 days away, Kiwi customer service skills will soon be on show and under the spotlight to visitors from all over the world, so make sure your and your staff are on the ball. HSI’s Customer Service Skills programme will get your team into winning shape. It’s time to focus on how we meet and greet our visitors, as they will be the judges of just how good New Zealand hospitality skills are - especially in October and November. The key elements of our Customer Service Skills package are: personal presentation, how to deal with customer conmplaints, provide sales and service opportunities and show knowledge of how to maximise dales and service to customers.

How long would it take? 3 - 6 weeks, while you work. You’ll gain a Certificate of Achievement.

How to enrol: talk to your local Training Advisor.

Read more about Customer Service Skills: Kia Ora Mai, Greet New Zealand are two other options.

One in five of the 126,000 people who work in New Zealand hospitality is a supervisor or manager. Often they are promoted to these roles without the extra training that will help them shoulder the extra responsibilities. Here’s a training programme that gives a great start to moving up the career ladder. It’s called Step Forward on the job, and it's for people moving into or already in supervisory and junior management positions in the hospitality industry.

The programme offers a diverse mix of training, from stock control through to staff evaluation and operational supervision, with a particular focus on food and beverage service.

How long will it take? Around nine - 12 months, studying while you work, so on the job learning. Successful candidates achieve the National Certificate in Hospitality – Operations Supervision Level 4 (Food & Beverage Service). The next step from there is the National Diploma in Hospitality – Operational Management Level 5.

How to enrol: talk to your local Training Advisor 

Read more

Then this is for you. Make a career move now.

The HSI Management Development Programme is for people with prior experience in hospitality who want to acquire the knowledge and skills to manage a business unit within a larger business. It is suitable for people who hold, or aspire to hold, an operational manager’s position, specialising in food & beverage management. The result is the National Diploma in Hospitality – Level 5 Operational Management.

The programme has three modules that cover:

• Operations Management: from supervising workplace operations to maintaining compliance with legal requirements, regulatory codes and standards.
• People Management: from planning and monitoring performance to staff selection.
• Food and Beverage Management: from demonstrating knowledge of food and beverage management to menu planning and evaluation.

You may need to complete two short HSI courses; one about delivering on-job training and the other on using standards to assess candidate performance.

How does it work?

• You attend three block workshops, two covering core management units and the third covering food and beverage management.
• You also have access to monthly mentoring on academic or business topics.

Assessments are project based. Initial work is done at three full-day workshops and is completed on the job.

How long does it take: Around 24 months

How to enrol: talk about how to be management material to your local Training Advisor. 

Read more

That’s just a selection from what’s on the HSI menu. For more options, go to www.hsi.co.nz/products, or email us on info@hsi.co.nz and ask us to design a training menu that is a good balanced diet for you...

Certificates of Achievement, National Certificates and Diplomas - gaining this is recognition of having hospitality skills to build successful careers and profitable businesses.

HSI will celebrate the achievement of more hospitality graduates and hospitality businesses at the HSI Wellington Achievement Awards on July 26 and later in the year in Rotorua, Auckland and Christchurch.

Read more about HSI Achievement Awards

Find out more at www.hsi.co.nz