Mountain-top hospitality business gets top award

20 July 2006

Mountain-top hospitality business in Queenstown & Rotorua takes out supreme training award

News article issued on behalf of the Hospitality Standards Institute

Iconic tourism and hospitality business Skyline Enterprises Ltd which operates a large-scale function venue and café in conjunction with its gondola and luge rides overlooking Rotorua and Queenstown has taken out three accolades - including the Supreme Award - at the Hospitality Standards Institute 2006 Excellence in Training Awards.

En-route to picking up the overall award, Skyline Enterprises Ltd won both the Excellence in Training - Workplace (café, restaurant, bar) category and the Excellence in Training - Organisation section.

Hospitality Standards Institute chief executive Steve Hanrahan said Skyline Enterprises Ltd's carefully thought-out entries in the 2006 Excellence in Training Awards reflected the importance which many of New Zealand's leading hospitality companies were now focusing on workplace training.

"Skyline Enterprises Ltd deals with a sizeable portion of New Zealand's tourism markets - both international and domestic - so it is highly encouraging to see this company ensuring that visitors receive an outstanding experience. This is an attitude many other New Zealand hospitality companies are taking as they seek to deliver professional customer service through training and upskilling their personnel," Mr Hanrahan said.

With other 2006 Excellence in Training Awards winners coming from across New Zealand, Mr Hanrahan said hospitality training initiatives were now firmly embedded in even the smallest of towns.

"Training is a valuable tool in combating the critical staffing shortages New Zealand's hospitality industry currently faces. The HSI Excellence in Training Awards support the enthusiasm and commitment displayed by training centres, individuals, and businesses - from small privately- owned ventures through to multi-national chains," Mr Hanrahan said.

"The untiring efforts of entrants into the HSI Excellence in Training Awards continue to keep training in the forefront of their business operations - making critical assessments of these submissions an incredibly hard job for the judging panel.

However, the judges continually comment that their task is richly rewarding as they uncover innovative and committed training programmes from a cross section of the industry," he concluded.

The Hospitality Standards Institute 2006 Excellence in Training Awards winners are...

Excellence in Training - Workplace (accommodation): Novotel & Hotel Ibis Ellerslie, Auckland.

Excellence in Training - Workplace (café, restaurant, bar): Skyline Gondola Restaurant & Luge, Queenstown.

Excellence in Training - Training Provider (qualification pathways): Manukau Institute of Technology, Auckland.

Excellence in Training - Training Provider (workplace partnerships): Workforce Development, Napier.
Registered Assessor of the Year: Hilary Connors, Millennium Hotels, Queenstown.
Hospitality Tutor of the Year: Quinton Gately, Nelson College, Nelson.

Excellence in Training - School: Howick College, Auckland.

Excellence in Training - Organisation: Skyline Enterprises Ltd.
Innovative Resource of the Year: Roderick Turner, Tai Poutini Polytechnic, Greymouth.

Catering Plus Ambassador of the Year:

Anita Sarginson, NZ Chefs Association and Flying Burrito Brothers, Wellington.
Food2Go Ambassador of the Year:
Nykkie Gibson, Accor Hotels , Auckland.
Supreme Award: Skyline Enterprises Ltd.

ENDS

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