Twenty chefs fulfilled their dreams of becoming accredited and recognised within the tourism sector, when they received their NQF level 5 occupational trade certificates.

An extravagant graduation ceremony was hosted by the Department of Tourism (DoT) at The Capital Mbombela on Wednesday, March 4.

The chefs completed a four-month course through the DoT’s Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) programme at the Limpopo Chef Academy.

DoT director, Ndhuma Makamu, said the RPL programme is a Tourism Sector Human Resource Strategy intervention that recognises the prior learning of chefs and awards them with the relevant occupational qualification and designation.

“The programme empowers beneficiaries to explore diverse career growth opportunities in the hospitality industry. To date, the RPL has upskilled and awarded trade certificates to 160 chefs in various provinces,” he said as he congratulated the graduates.

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Chef Simon Sihlangu of Southern Sun Mbombela said this was a golden opportunity for people like him who have been in the hospitality industry without recognition.

Sihlangu started his journey at Mpumalanga Regional Training Trust in KaNyamazane and has worked at Southern Sun Mbombela since 2014.

“Today we don’t just have certificates, we are recognised internationally and acknowledged. For a long time many of us only had the knowledge and skill but not the certificate.”