Chefs need to bridge skill gaps ahead of Industry 4.0

Chefs can do better.

Singapore’s National Trades Union Congress (NTUC’s) Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) has identified that the chefs in the hospitality industry would need to bridge some critical skill gaps if they want to stay competitive in the Industrial Revolution 4.0.

At present, chefs can enhance their tech skills, build-up their business acumen and imbibe a certain level of adaptiveness when it comes to kitchen management. The survey also identified that technical food theory skills are going to be crucial in the coming years.

These findings from e2i’s survey will be used as a starting point for training programs and skill-building initiatives that will come under the umbrella of Chef 4.0 part of the study.

The research has found out that chefs and other stakeholders in the food and beverage industry lacked the necessary opportunities to practice and develop their digital technology skills. In a workplace that is rapidly transforming because of digitization and automation of several processes, the experts in the F&B industry must also adopt technological tools to boost their efficiency. About 96 percent of the chefs surveyed showed interest in enrolling for training in this arena while 86 percent of the managers said they were eager to send their chefs to these training initiatives.

“Upskilling the workforce requires the commitment of many stakeholders--hence, it is encouraging to see professional chefs keen on getting training, and managers who see the value in upskilling their chefs,” said Gilbert Tan, CEO of e2i. “Conscious efforts to open training and development opportunities have benefits not just for the individual but for the business as well.”

This research which surveyed professional chefs, F&B management and members of the public was conducted by e2i in tandem with the Singaporean F&B solutions provider Novitee and marketing agency Addpetizer.