THERE WAS plenty of pride and delectable culinary delights on offer recently for the official opening of the Whitemill Training Kitchen at the Youth Train Community Training premises.
The selection of delicious traditional baby quiches, contemporarily designed cupcakes, savoury pinwheels, and canapés all acted as small tasters of the opportunities and potential the new facility brings to Youth Train and Youthreach learners but also to the hospitality and catering industry in Wexford.
The catering and hospitality sector has a strong reputation in the county and judging by the energy at this event, it seems like the Training Kitchen will be a source of quality employment in the future.
Youth Train and Youthreach are centres funded by Waterford Wexford Education and Training Board WWETB to work with young adults from age 16 to 21, to prepare them for the workplace and/or further education.
All the catering at the event was expertly prepared by Youth Train learners under the instruction of Niamh Radford and Youthreach learners led by Sinead Breen.
Sheila Barrett, Youth Train Board member, welcomed the WWETB management, staff and learners to the celebration, saying the kitchen was the product of years of planning and hard work.
Kevin Lewis, the new CE of the WWETB acknowledged that he was only new in the post and was delighted to be asked to attend such an event. He emphasised how impressed he was by the high level of cooperation shown between Youth Train and Youthreach in the development and operation of the Training Kitchen. Mr. Lewis addressed the learners and encouraged them to inform themselves of the growing number of worthwhile training options available through the ETB.
Phil O’Mahoney, Youthreach Coordinator, expressed her thanks to all involved in funding and developing the new facilities. As Youthreach had been without dedicated premises for some years, Ms. O’Mahoney expressed appreciation at the welcome offered by Youth Train to Whitemill and was happy that the Training Kitchen would be a vital resource for the Tourism, Catering and Hospitality elements of the Leaving Cert Applied delivered through Youthreach.
Paul O’Brien, the Manager of Youth Train, expressed thanks to the assembled guests including the landlord Aidan Kelly, MURCO who designed the kitchen and the Environmental Health Officers who had assisted in designs that would meet standards required for this important Wexford industry.
Up to 30 people had worked on the Training Kitchen build and design, the WWETB investment contributing directly to providing local work even before the kitchen opened.
Mr. O’Brien said that Youth Train was very proud of this latest achievement and of the potential it offers for future training.
