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The Grampian Dinner

28th October 2010
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The Edinburgh Lunch

5th November 2010
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The London Lunch

25th November 2010
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The Christmas Party

2nd December 2010
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Catering and Hospitality Students Receive a Slice of Bursary Fund

26th November 2008

Universities and colleges responsible for training Scotland’s future chefs and hospitality workers have received a bursary worth nearly £100,000. The money is destined to help students pay for essential equipment, such a professional standards knives and cooking equipment, and as emergency relief for students in financial difficulty.

The Hospitality Industry Trust (HIT) Scotland, awarded the bursary at Gleneagles (26th November) at the Head's of College Event. The fund is shared between 28 higher education institutions from across Scotland.

David Cochrane, Chief Executive of HIT Scotland, explains the rationale behind the bursary, “Further education is important to professionalism and aspirations within the industry. It is a shame that people who have the passion to enrol in a hospitality course may have to leave because of financial constraints. These are the sorts of people who can drive standards across Scotland and push the industry forward”.

The money comes from HIT Scotland’s businesses sponsorship and fundraisers. HIT Scotland uses the bursary fund to encourage students to stay in education and continue into the hospitality industry to help the country compete in the worldwide tourism and hospitality market. Since 1994, HIT Scotland has awarded over a million pounds, helping over 8,000 students.

The year, HIT Scotland has split the £100,000 to pay for equipment and other requirements separately. Each College or university receives a portion of each fund.

Credit for £53,000 is in an account with Brakes, a major supplier to the industry, to provide professional standard equipment, such as knives, cooking equipment and clothing, at a discounted rate. Lecturers, course leaders and hardship managers also received part of £46,000 to distribute directly to students who require help with none-course based expenses.

Martin Hall, general manager of Brakes Catering Equipment, said, "One of the greatest challenges facing us is the possibility of a skills shortage. Therefore, it's vital that the next generation of chefs and caterers are not only trained to the highest possible standards, but that achieving those standards is made as simple as possible. Catering equipment represents a significant outlay for organisations and individuals alike, so we are pleased that we can help make a difference by being able to support HIT Scotland in nurturing tomorrow's talent through this valuable scheme."

The participating universities and colleges are:

Aberdeen College

Adam Smith College

Angus College

Ayr College

Banff & Buchan College of Further Education

Borders College

Clydebank College

Dumfries & Galloway College

Dundee College

Edinburgh's Telford College

Forth Valley College

Glasgow Caledonian University

Glasgow Metropolitan College

James Watt College

Jewel and Esk Valley College

John Wheatley College

Kilmarnock College - Irvine Campus

Moray College

Motherwell College

Napier University Business School

Perth College

Queen Margaret University College

Reid Kerr College

Scottish Agricultural College

The Robert Gordon University - Gathdee Campus II

University of Strathclyde

University of West of Scotland

West Lothian College

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