Watch: All Malta’s Catering Staff Must Be Qualified In English, Restaurateur Sean Gravina Proposes
Everyone who wants to work in the Maltese catering industry must be adequately qualified in English, top chef and restaurant owner Sean Gravina has proposed.
“Personally, I believe that if someone wants to come to Malta to work in the catering industry, they must either present a certificate showing they are fluent in English or undergo a compulsory course at an EFL school,” Gravina said during a debate on the TVM show Realta’.
“Otherwise, if they come to me for training, I will first have to teach them English and it doesn’t work out. If I put a worker out there who doesn’t speak English, I will lose clients.”
@lovinmaltaofficial Do you agree with Gravina’s comments on TVM’s Realtà? 🤔 #fyp #fypmalta #malta #LovinMalta #seangravina #restaurants #catering #waiters #english #language #tvm ♬ original sound – Lovin Malta
Gravina’s concerns were seconded by chef Alan Warren Cefai, who warned that some foreign catering staff don’t even understand the difference between an espresso and a cappuccino.
Matthew Pace, secretary-general of the Association of Catering Establishments, concurred, stating that all staff must be fluent in English.
“The issue is that we are in such a dire straits scenario from a human resources point of view,” he added, warning that the situation was already problematic before the COVID-19 pandemic but has been aggravated now.
Do you agree with Sean Gravina’s proposal?
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