The receivers of the Queensland-based non-profit Hospitality Training Association have put the organisation up for sale, looking for expressions of interest into the facility which offers training and education for students looking to break into the industry.
The sale comes as the hospitality industry continues to suffer one of the biggest skills shortages in the country, with many businesses complaining of a lack of trained staff. It also comes as the tourism industry in Queensland has struggled to recover after January’s devastating floods.
Receiver Robert Malt of Ferrier Hodgson was contacted this morning, but was unavailable prior to publication. Chief executive of the HTA, Phillip Charlton, was also contacted but unavailable.
The HTA has been in operation for 20 years and has been the largest trainer of apprentice chefs in Queensland. It also offers a number of diploma and business programs, along with a range of short courses.
The association has been running since 1982 and is associated with a number of universities and TAFE facilities across the state. It is also associated with the five major tourism and hospitality bodies in the country – the Hotel Motel & Accommodation, Clubs Queensland, the Restaurant and Catering Association, the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union and the Queensland Hotels Association.
Currently, the HTA website produces error messages.
Only two years ago the association presented the second stage of its $17 million refurbishment program, doubling the association’s existing floor space and adding kitchens, classrooms and a training restaurant.
Money was currently being spent on the facility to produce more kitchens, lecture theatres and a function area designed to suit 120 guests.
Included with the sale are the premises, 2,847 metres squared, on four and a half floors, along with intellectual property, commercial kitchens and classroom facilities.
Patrick Stafford is a freelance journalist and a former deputy editor of SmartCompany.
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