AITC – Australian Institute of TechnicalChefs (AITC) June 16 – Press Release

Australian Institute of TechnicalChefs (AITC) June 16 – Press Release

AITC is a not for profit organisation of professional chefs initiated in 2015 and launched in early 2016 by a group of contemporary passionate chefs who are concerned with the direction of the commercial cookery industry. The organisation delivers a brighter future for the profession chef by lifting the vocation to new heights, with a vision of the future.

A fully professional, Australia wide Institute, that is fundamentally a registration board for qualified and experienced chefs is now firmly established, and growing.

In Australia, a license or registration is required to be an electrical contractor, nurse, paramedic, plumber, real estate agent, travel operator, valuers among other occupations that individuals must meet the requirements of their respective registration board before legally allowed to practice. Yet, as a chef is a self- regulated occupation, anyone can operate as a chef irrespective of their skills, knowledge, or fitness and use the title chef.

The occupation of a chef may never be licensed by government, mainly because the industry requires two kinds of chefs,   those who are semi-skilled who perform the mundane tasks, who work alongside the highly skilled who are trained to be the leaders. Professionals who are competent at perceiving the whole attributes required in the culinary process, including a professional attitude towards their vocation.

As government cannot, and will not license those who practice in commercial cookery at any level, (even highly qualified professional chefs) the next step in the evolution of the culinary industry in Australia is for professional chefs to license their own, by creating an industry driven professional chefs registration board.

It is time to publicly promote an organisation that endorses by licensing chefs who meet minimum requirements in training, education and ethical obligations, chefs who practice at the highly skilled professional level.

An association that:

1. By simply identifying and separating, trained professional who have the grounding and commitment, from those who operate with the same title, many of whom do not deserve the title, unable to substantiate their claim to be a commercial chef and not willing to agree to standards of practice in commercial cookery.
2. Insists on high measurable and objective standards of entry, ensuring members are aware of their ethical obligations as identified in professional codes of conduct and attentive to the Institutes expectations of continued self development,
3. Has the potential in time to ultimately transform the trade of cookery into a genuine professional career for those who deserve the recognition and status of the highest integrity, and who have earned the title professional chef.

The TechnicalChef concept is simple, effective and accountable, and is being supported by an increasing number of professionals who have applied to be licensed as a TechnicalChef.

Applicants who prove they have five attributes,  (A roadmap that involves (1) approved training standards,  (2) commercial cookery experience, (3) fitness to be titled  a chef, (4)  commitment to follow codes of practice  and a duty to (5) continuously  develop ones career) are licensed to show they are a professional commercial chef, or a TechnicalChef.

The Institute seeks:

1. Chefs who are commercially trained, experienced, and able to understand their ethical and functional responsibilities as a professional to make this initiative work.
2. Chefs, who can lead the industry forward into a new era of professionalism never thought possible in an industry, where chefs not only quote they are professional, but personally demonstrate the qualities and attributes required to belong to a professional industry .
3. Chefs who, are passionate about their career, can inspire others, willing to stand up and be counted, and openly willing to promote that a professional chefs career is a worthwhile occupation by publicly branding themselves.
4. Professionals who have the industrial background to know what a professional chef really is in competencies and attitude; chefs who have the experience to understand that the occupation involves more than just cooking.
5. Leaders who are aware of the need to separate professional chefs from the general community’s perception of a chef, to join a philosophy that advances Australian Commercial Cookery to the next level.

A professional chef is more than wearing a crisp white coat, and possessing a cookery certificate Professionalism has to do with how one conducts oneself in the day to day operations,  being polite, having good judgement, understanding cultural norms, following moral, ethical and professional standards, and able to independently practice.

A chef is able to transcend beyond just cookery;  a person who knows that a chef is not limited to cookery skill, but is a people manager, involved with menu compilation, budgetary constraints, a manager of human and physical resources,  legal compliance, counselling,  mentoring, team building and succession planning, among many other day to day responsibilities .

If you need to ask what in this for chef?  I suggest you should already be aware that any legitimate professional occupation is built upon a foundation that identifies the minimum characteristics and qualities in its professionals.  An institution that requires admission standards, documented training and development, continuous self develop and fitness.

Just as professionals in other disciplines would also acknowledge that an essential component of any practicing specialist is their mindset, that includes the need to be a part of an association that is not just a social club, but an association that encompass all the basic components and standards to collectively represent members in a genuine profession.

AITC is:

1. Not affiliated, nor in competition with any existing chefs association, AITC already has many senior members from existing chefs associations registered across Australia.
2. Purely a registration board that aims to protect the status of being a professional chef. An association that identifies verifies and licenses professional chefs to use a logo to demonstrate their genuine professional status with a trademark that will in time become, more and more obvious and respected in the community.
3. Internet driven; consequently, registration fees are exceptionally low. At only an annual fee of $25 dollars a year brings to the table, publicity, public recognition, authenticity, respectability and creditability.

The new ideology attempts to better commercial cookery and professionalism at the highest level with industry registration of qualified chefs, a process that has to start somewhere. Probably most will never see the fruit that grow from a seed that is now planted. However, chefs must look towards the future and join an organisation that brings to the table: respectability, authenticity and creditability.