First chef to complete a Modern Apprenticeship graduates

The first chef to complete a Modern Apprenticeship met up with the Minister who introduced the programme in Auckland this morning at the start of a week of activity by government MPs focusing on youth training.

Joseph Tahaafe recently completed his three-year Modern Apprenticeship and is now working as a full-time Demi Chef at Sky City’s top restaurant, Orbit, in Sky Tower. Sky City was one of the first companies in the hospitality industry to sign up with the programme which was introduced by the incoming Labour-led government in 2000.

Steve Maharey said Joseph joins 312 young people nationwide who have now completed their Modern Apprenticeship. The number of trainees currently undertaking a Modern Apprenticeships has now risen to a new high of 6,580 (up from 5,102 Modern Apprentices a year ago).

“Modern Apprenticeships are providing a significant new learning pathway into the world of work for young people like Joseph. I first Joseph and his parents at Sky City back in 2000 and I’m very pleased to be able to congratulate him now that he become a fully qualified chef and been promoted to the position of Demi Chef.

“The success of the Modern Apprenticeships programme is demonstrated by the fact that it has already exceeded the June 2004 target of 6,500 young people in the programme. The government has set a target of 7,500 Modern Apprentices during 2006.

“Working in partnership with the Mayors’ Taskforce for Jobs, the government has committed to getting all young people (aged 15-19 years) into work, training, education or other worthwhile activities by 2007. Modern Apprenticeships is already making a major contribution to this goal.

“Later this week (Thursday) I will be annoucing how we intend to step up the campaign to get all young people building a future for themselves, including funding for additional Modern Apprentices,” Steve Maharey said.

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>