Worldwide: the Global Culinary Excellence Academy (GCEA)

Worldwide: the Global Culinary Excellence Academy (GCEA)

The Global Culinary Excellence Academy (GCEA) is an extensive and unique training program designed to educate and promote knowledge sharing and culinary talent across the international LSG Sky Chefs network.

The program was launched in 2015, and it was designed together with the Culinary Excellence Network. It consists of live workshops and classroom-based seminars supported by distance-learning modules completed using an e-learning app.

Over the course of two years, chefs are equipped with additional skills that build on their existing experience, ranging from cutting techniques and menu design to management. Formal subjects covered include the History of Gastronomy, Food Science, Allergen Management and Active Management Behavior. Upon completion, chefs are awarded a GCEA certification and a diploma from the American Culinary Federation (ACF).

The participants range from junior sous-chefs to executive chefs, and each contribute insight on the individual customers they serve, as well as their individual experiences as chefs, including regional and niche culinary expertise. Beyond that, though, the GCEA fosters the global understanding of LSG Sky Chefs’ commitment to culinary excellence, consistent quality and standardization. This is vital to the company’s success.

Binu Krishnan, Executive Chef in Auckland (NZ).

Part of the GCEA development program’s objective is to build a company-wide network of chefs for in-flight catering. These people also act as ambassadors for LSG Sky Chefs’ culinary ideas, reporting back and sharing knowledge in company kitchens worldwide. The handbooks are for the participants to keep, allowing them to use these materials – along with the leadership skills covered on the course – to effectively manage and train other global, regional and local teams on LSG Sky Chefs’ best practices.

Global Culinary Excellence Academy E-Learning App

The GCEA program is supported by a sophisticated e-learning app. This app allows participants to access learning materials via their smartphone, tablet, or a web interface. This supports continuous learning and knowledge exchange, giving them easy access to the modules and training materials, including training videos, at their convenience. The app also covers questions that can be evaluated to monitor progress. Gamification elements such as competitive quizzes and games increase motivation and make learning fun. By including quizzes on issues such as allergies, special needs, and other topics relevant to their daily work, we can help our chefs to stay up to date, and this has a direct impact on product quality. The culinary training app is central to scaling the academy worldwide.

Joseph Markey, Executive Chef Design and Development in Dallas (NAM)

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