Roadtown, Tortola - Premier and Minister for Tourism Honourable Ralph T. O’Neal, OBE today signed a contract worth $179,360 for architectural work on the Culinary Arts Centre at the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College.
The architectural design and inspection of the construction of the centre are to be carried out by Roger Downing and Partner Company Limited.
Honourable O’Neal said the centre will help to provide a cadre of trained persons to perform catering services in the tourism sector. “We are trying to attract five-star hotels and I understand that with five-start hotels, you must have five-star treatment in food, entertainment, accommodation and so on, so it behoves us to keep in step,” he stated.
According to the Premier, the decision to construct a culinary arts centre is “evidence of Government’s commitment to enhance the offering of the college in keeping with the overall goal to train British Virgin Islanders and develop economic opportunities.”
He noted too that with major tourism projects to come on stream in the near future, it is important that the Territory has the necessary human resources required to provide efficient service.
Honourable O’Neal congratulated the firm which emerged victorious in the tender process and expressed his confidence in their work. “I know from work I have seen the firm do; I feel confident that they will provide quality work as we build this facility.”
The Premier also encouraged officials of the HLSCC to start the recruitment process now as efforts are made to ensure that BVIslanders are able to get to “the top of their professions in the hotel industry.”
Witnessing the Premier’s signature, Chairman of the HLSCC Board of Governors, Dr. Charles Wheatley, endorsed the importance of the culinary arts training facility in the overall development of the Territory. “I think the culinary arts centre which will be established is going to play a very important role in the development of the country in general and it will certainly add to the college and its offerings,” he said.
The HLSCC Board Chairman also expressed the hope that persons will see the centre as a potential career opportunity. “We hope that our local people will take the opportunity and embrace the training that is available. We have had previous experiences where the local people have not taken up the challenge as well as they should,” he stated.
Signing on behalf of the contracted firm, Architect/Director Mr. Richard Finnegan said the goal is to have the drawings complete by August. Mr. Finnegan, the Project Architect, said the company is happy to have been awarded the contract and they have been working extra hours to get the drawings completed.
Mr. Finnegan added, “We have a lot of five star resort experience that we are bringing to this project and connections that we are trying to make between these resorts and school, so I think it’s a very good fit.”
Today’s signing ceremony was attended by several high level Government officials including Deputy Premier and Minister of Health and Social Development, Honourable Dancia Penn, OBE, QC and other members of the House of Assembly of the Virgin Islands.
The Culinary Arts Centre is partly funded by the European Union which is providing $1.53 million towards the project with Government contributing $1 million. It is expected to serve as a regional training facility.
British Virgin Islands News