Owners of food establishments and persons working in the Territory’s food service industry are invited to participate in a three-day ServSafe Food Safety Manager Certification Training workshop.

The free workshop is being held from September 21 to 23 at the Training Division, and is hosted by the Government of the Virgin Islands through the Caribbean Overseas Small and Medium Enterprises (COSME) Programme.

The workshop will be using the ServSafe Food Protection Manager certification under the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. This certification is based on the latest United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Food Code, and is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI)-Conference for Food Protection.

Junior Minister for Trade, Investment Promotion and Consumer Affairs, Honourable Marlon A. Penn is encouraging restaurant owners and other persons in the food service industry to register for the workshop, and become internationally certified as food safety managers.

Honourable Penn said, “I am pleased that the Government of the Virgin Islands is offering such a diverse range of training opportunities for small businesses and, in this instance, those working in the food service industry.”

Hon. Penn added that with the proper certification, planning and vision, it is very likely that British Virgin Islands’ entrepreneurs in the restaurant and catering services industries can expand into multiple franchises and help to further diversify the local economy.

The training will be facilitated by Ms. Julie-Ann Laudat and Mr. Lionel Michael who are certified ServSafe Instructors and proctors/examiners and have over fourteen years of combined experience.

Among others, topics to be covered during the training include providing safe food; forms of contamination; the safe food handler; the flow of food; food safety management systems; cleansing and sanitising; training and regulations,; along with safe facilities and pest management.

The European Union funded training will be done in three whole days from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The training styles used will be: ServSafe powerpoint presentations and food safety training manuals; Interactive discussions; ServSafe practice tests; and a final multiple choice exam for those that have attended all the class sessions. The exams will be sent to the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation in the US and certificates will be issued to successful trainees within two to three weeks.

The deadline for registering is Friday, September 16 and space is limited. Interested persons may register at the BVI Chamber of Commerce and Hotel Association by emailing info@bviccha.org or by telephone at 494-3514.

The COSME programme specialises in the development of the small and medium enterprises in the 12 Overseas Countries and Territories, and was launched on April 1, 2014 on Tortola.

It is one component of the Government’s long-term efforts to strengthen business development and support entrepreneurial growth in the Territory.

Ongoing business development initiatives include the 12 month entrepreneurial training series titled SMART Business Academy, formerly known as the POWER Move Academy; the Business of the Year competition that promoted the services of various small businesses in the BVI; the Loans Guarantee Programme; and the revitalisation of the National Business Bureau.