HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0494.005 2008-2010
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Jean,W:_,H lI, CCE,_AAC-HOSPITALITY CONSULT ANT
Professional resource consultantfor the. hospitality industry
9-1-09
STATEMENT BY JEAN HULL, CCE, AAC, RETIRED, FOOD SERVICE
PROGRAM/ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR 1989-2001, HAWCC-WH FOR THE
HAWAII PLANNING COMMISSION
As a former professor of culinary arts at the Kealakekua site, I assisted with plans and
logistics for a real campus in order train and educate a strong culinary workforce on our
island from 1990 to this day. My attendance at this meeting renews my hope that this
group and future groups of interested people are heard regarding the critical need for
trained and skilled people to service the-hospitality industry in West Hawaii.-The current
collegiate culinary arts facilities are woefully inadequate and cannot meet the existing
need for trained personnel for current and future needs.
During my tenure promises were made, hopes were high. However, no action was taken
to complete the process of finding a site and/or building a campus to accommodate an
adequate culinary arts program until recently. Even so we trained and continue to train,
with an excellent instructional team, a workforce that today employees graduates as
Executive Chefs, Chefs, Cooks and Pastry Cooks at Kohala and Kona properties such as
the Mauna Kea Beach Resort, Mauna Lani Resort, Four Seasons Resort, Fairmont Orchid
Mauna Lani, Hilton Waikoloa, Royal Kona Resort, Outrigger Keauhou Beach and
restaurants such as Jackie Reys, La Pasta, Kona Country Club, Huggo's, Merriman's,
Hokulia, Kei' i Cafe. A small percentage of graduates are employed with signature
chefs/properties such as Nobu, Mario Betallia, Canlis, Wolfgang Puck. We have prepared
a small number of students to achieve significant success in culinary and culinary related
fields, offering a sound living wage and benefits for over twenty years. Now it is time to
increase this opportunity to many more potential students who could benefit from
higher education in culinary arts, offering job opportunities and a better life style for our
next generation of cooks and chefs and their families.
The statistics of the needs of the industry for trained workforce are high:
o The resorts in Kohala, the resorts in Kona, the 80+ small restaurants in this area,
including 45 in Waimea, call me frequently for employment needs.
o Jobs are numerous, hourly wage is high, benefits are great---why are we not
training the thousands of young high school graduates to work in this industry?
o Why are we sending our young people off-island for over 100 years because we
do not have the facilities to train but a few for employment?
o What is not clear about the need for a culinary arts and hospitality program to
support the workforce needs?
o Addressing the culinary industry personnel shortage is critical! Can we provide a
viable option for Hawaii's youth to stay in Hawaii?
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A first class culinary education program for training forty to fifty students each
year, requires enough space with a dedicated physical plant including up-to-date kitchens
and dining room space. Will the planning commission have vision to allow us to provide
a dedicated plant large enough to accomplish the goal of educating our workforce with
have a state of the art program, and facility?
Hopefully, together as we ponder the various factors of higher education with the UH
officials we can set a clear and fiscally feasible goal for educational services for the
residents on the Big Island of Hawaii.
As an active member in the American Culinary Federation, Kona-Kohala Chefs
Association, I, and our chapter are united in support of the best possible educational
facility for future generations. We are committed to developing a strong, well-trained
hospitality workforce on our island. Are you?
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Jean W. Hull, CCE, AAC
(808) 326-2350 phone and fax 75-240 Malulani Dr.
e-mail: jeanhull@hawaii.rr.com Kailua-Kona, HI 96740