On Sunday June 13 at the Manukau Institute of Technology, the top eight Modern Apprentices in each field will battle it out to be named Modern Apprentice of the Year.

Moniel Kalyan and Lole Fakatava, both third year SKYCITY apprentices, have been selected to participate in the finals of the prestigious HSI Apprentice of the Year award - Back of House.

In the Front of House category of the HSI awards SKYCITY second-year apprentice Alex Kramarenko has been nominated for Apprentice of the Year – Front of House.

The winners will be announced at the HSI Excellence in Training Awards Gala Dinner at the Langham Hotel on June 14.

SKYCITY has also been nominated for three awards in the 2010 HSI Awards for Excellence in Training. These annual awards, organised by the Hospitality Standards Institute (HSI), recognise the country’s top players in hospitality training, from small businesses through to multinational organisations.

SKYCITY was nominated for the following awards:

• Excellence in Workplace Assessor of the Year – Jose Aquilino
• Excellence in Training – Workplace (Café/Bar/Restaurant)
• Excellence in Training - Organisation

The awards recognise the training achievements of schools, workplaces, tutors, assessors and hospitality training providers in ten categories, including Hospitality Tutor of the Year and Excellence in Training for food services (catering) and accommodation businesses as well as restaurants, bars and cafés.

The winners for the training awards will also be announced at the Training Awards Gala Dinner at the Langham Hotel on June 14.

SKYCITY’s Director of Kitchens, Mark Wylie is impressed at the efforts of SKYCITY’s apprentices in this year’s competition.

“SKYCITY has had success in the HSI awards in the past and the level of skill these apprentices are showing is impressive and a credit to their hard work.  SKYCITY Auckland has the only on-site apprentice programme in New Zealand where our apprentices gain firsthand experience in working kitchens.”