Making Dreams a Reality

UAE Culinary Scholarship Making Dreams a Reality

The International Centre for Culinary Arts Dubai (ICCA) and Emirates Culinary Guild’s Culinary Scholarship celebrated Class of 2021’s graduation and the induction of the Class of 2022. The annual one million dirham Continuing Education Award for UAE Young Industry Chefs has trained 125 deserving young chefs since 2015.

This unique scholarship program identifies thirty talented young chefs from the industry each year who are financially underprivileged. The students receive one year’s professional training tuition for an International Diploma in Culinary Arts at ICCA Dubai’s world-class campus in Dubai Knowledge Park.

This initiative is a tangible step towards bridging the skills gap within the hospitality industry and ties into the government of Dubai’s wider vision of developing a knowledge-based economy. The institute has strategically partnered with the Emirates Culinary Guild, Worldchefs, and City & Guilds to execute this program. Graduates receive a diploma from City & Guilds and Global Hospitality Certification from Worldchefs. The scholarship program has been tremendously successful, not only helping young chefs to enhance their career, but also to uplift their families and communities in the long run. “We are celebrating an important milestone in our joint scholarship program between Emirates Culinary Guild and ICCA Dubai, together with our partners, without whom we would never have been able to see these young people flourish,” says Andy Cuthbert, Emirates Culinary Guild Chairman. “125 young lives changed from 2015 since the scholarship’s inception equates to 125 families across the globe being in a better place, because we see our young chefs in all corners of the globe, from France to Australia. The industry is on its knees, but our role as leaders is to lift up the spirit of the young and give them a direction for a brighter future that is surely coming for all of us in this industry.”

The scholarship program is designed to share knowledge, experience, and expertise along with providing formal education, with the goal of developing a sustainable workforce and socially inclusive work environment. “To do what you love and are passionate about, and with 125 successful graduates trained in the five years since the inception of the scholarship, is a dream come true!” says Guild President Uwe Micheel. “We remain committed to supporting and uplifting the aspiring young chefs of the industry, for we believe that better than a vision held are dreams shared and brought to reality.”

We remain committed to supporting and uplifting the aspiring young chefs of the industry, for we believe that better than a vision held are dreams shared and brought to reality.