A training centre to address the skills shortage in the hospitality industry could soon be in place at the Mercure Hotel and Convention Centre on Main Road.
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A planning application for the venue, which is currently also being used as a mass vaccination clinic, has been lodged with the City of Ballarat.
The documents show that a change of use for the site is proposed to allow the convention centre's facilities to be used as an "education centre" when other events are not taking place.
The Mercure's Iain Gunn said he had been considering setting up a private training centre for some time, with his plans pre-dating the pandemic.
We are really setting it up to get a quality outcome for the students and a quality outcome for the broader industry and to address a skills shortage in the region
- Iain Gunn of The Mercure
The training, if the change of use is approved, would target cooking and front-of-house hospitality skills.
"This has been in the pipeline for a long time. It's another string to the bow. I am doing it as a commercial operation," Mr Gunn told The Courier.
He said he hoped the training could contribute to the rebound of the area's tourism industry.
"We are really setting it up to get a quality outcome for the students and a quality outcome for the broader industry and to address a skills shortage in the region," he said.
As a former student at the Swiss Hotel school, he believes he has had an insight into what works with private training operators.
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"I think we will have a unique point of difference being on site [of an existing hotel and conference centre] and in the industry."
If the application is approved, Mr Gunn hopes to have an intake of students in February or June next year.
The report describes the Mercure as having "an excellent strategic location to provide education and training functions." No extra building work would be required.
The application was seeking "planning approval to deliver educational classes operated by a Registered Training Organisation," the documents state.
Mr Gunn says that presuming the change of use application is approved, he will move on to the full registration and endorsement of the training programs.
A separate business, Ballarat Academy Ltd, has been registered for the move into industry training.
- The planning application can be read at the City of Ballarat's planning website eservices.ballarat.vic.gov.au. See application PLP/2021/290.
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