Preparatory Work for New Culinary Arts Centre Underway

~~Adz:Left~~ Roadtown, Tortola- Government has started preparatory work for the design and construction of a new Culinary Arts Centre at the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College in Paraquita Bay.

A six-member steering committee comprising representatives from the Premier’s Office, Ministry of Finance, Town and Country Planning, as well as other related departments has already been established.
The committee is working on the design and requirements for the centre which should become operational in 2012.

In his recent first year-in-office address, Premier Honourable Ralph T. O’Neal, OBE revealed that Government signed an agreement with the European Commission (EC) in March this year for the creation of the centre.
The Premier stated that “Government will invest $1 million into the establishment of this facility and the European Commission has agreed to provide $1.53 million.”

According to the Premier, “the culinary arts centre is a significant development because it will help to provide a cadre of better-trained persons for the tourism industry.”

Permanent Secretary in the Premier’s Office Mrs. Rosalie Adams told the Department of Information and Public Relations the steering committee is putting together the terms of reference for the project.  

“It is our goal to select a project manager and architect by the end of 2008 and to begin construction in 2009,” Mrs. Adams said.

Under the terms of the agreement, Government must sign a contractual agreement for the construction of the centre by 2010 and work should be completed by 2012.

Head of the EC Delegation in Barbados, Mr. Paul Mondesir, (pronounced Mon-day-see) will visit the Territory from September 10–12 to outline the commission’s requirements and procedures for the project.

The creation of the new culinary arts centre represents Government’s commitment to enhance the offering of the college in keeping with its overall goal to develop an education system that will deliver quality education and training that is relevant to students and prepares them to achieve higher levels.

Government’s investments in the Territory’s human resource base enhances the ability of Virgin Islanders to meet the requisite quality and service standards of the tourism industry while at the same time reduces the need to import labour.