The International Centre for Culinary Arts (ICCA) Dubai, the premier, award-winning technical vocational education and training (TVET) in culinary arts located in Knowledge Village, proudly announced its latest batch of deserving young chefs from the hospitality industry chosen for this year’s One Million Dirham Continuing Education Award for UAE Young Industry Chefs. This is an annual scholarship initiative established in 2014 by ICCA Dubai in strategic partnership with the Emirates Culinary Guild; City & Guilds, UK; and Worldchefs.

“What makes this year’s batch stand out is that it is the most diverse and inclusive group of students we have selected so far since the inception of this initiative,” said Sunjeh Raja, Member of the ICCA Dubai Culinary Scholarship Committee, and the Director & CEO of ICCA Dubai. “At ICCA Dubai, we are always striving to make lives happen by providing the best-in-class training to aspiring chefs and industry professionals at our award-winning campus. This Scholarship is a tangible way for us to give back to this vibrant and amazing industry.”

The Class of 2022 comprises 40 candidates from over 140 applications received from a wide range of hotels and restaurants across the UAE. The selected candidates hail from countries as widespread as India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Kenya, Cameroon, Egypt, Palestine, and Syria, representing the UAE’s rich diversity and inclusivity. Thanks to the Scholarship, all 40 candidates will receive one full year of world-class culinary education completely free of charge at ICCA Dubai.

The primary focus of this initiative is to educate, train & certify the talented and deserving but financially underprivileged young chefs who are currently working in the UAE’s hospitality industry. Leading Hotels and restaurants from across UAE send in applications on behalf of those staff members who the establishment believes deserve the chance to acquire globally recognised industry-standard qualifications, which is the hallmark of the Professional Chef Training Programs at ICCA Dubai. Out of all the applications received, the Scholarship Committee chooses the 40 most deserving candidates each year.

This program is a tangible step to bridge the skills gap within the hospitality industry, develop a sustainable workforce and create a socially inclusive work environment for the long term. Over the years, it has helped tremendously enhance the quality of output of the trained candidates, well acknowledged by their peers, seniors, and managers. The program transforms those educated & skilled and helps alleviate the lives of the families that depend upon them.

Since 2014, a total of 123 candidates have received the benefit of the ICCA Dubai One Million Dirham Continuing Education Award for UAE Young Industry Chefs at a cumulative cost of approximately AED 5 million.

ICCA Dubai dedicates the success of this program to its team and strategic partners, the Emirates Culinary Guild, its member Chefs, City & Guilds, UK and the WorldChefs,

Amongst the several acknowledgements & recognitions, the program has also received the Dubai Knowledge Park & Dubai International Academic City Recognition for the “Year of Giving 2017”.
Visit: https://www.iccadubai.ae/