Forty bakers representing the top talent and best hotels in Jaffna gathered recently to develop world class baking skills. Prima Ceylon, a flour milling company, World University Service of Canada (WUSC), a not-for-profit organisation with a mandate to build the Sri Lankan youth and female workforce, and the Northern Province Tourism Association (NPTA) partnered to host a technical baking workshop to skill up Sri Lanka’s baking industry workforce.
The baking vocation was targeted specifically to better serve the growing tourist demand in the North by providing quality pastries and dining experiences.
The event was the second of five planned across Sri Lanka, the first event was held in Arugam Bay and was well received by hoteliers and students alike. The next will be held in Matara, a well-established tourist district, March 23. Follow on events are planned to be held in Trincomalee and Puttalam.
The baking workshop was led by Mr Ranjan Amarasighe – Principal of Prima Baking Training Centre (PBTC).
Amarasighe had this to say about the program: “Internationally, high quality bakers are greatly admired and respected, pulling in a healthy salary; it is constituted a very respectable vocation. In Sri Lanka we see this shift in perspective occurring as well as more youth and women are entering the field. At PBTC over 30% of our classes comprise women.”
Ester MacIntosh of wusc adds “We must work together to ensure that all hotels, big and small, are able to offer quality services through trained and skilled staff, and quality products that will keep visitors coming again and again. With the help of Prima Bakery we can ensure that every meal that a guest has, is memorable, and meets the high standards and expectations that they have.”