In the morning of August 28, the “Beverage Service” segment of 2023 National Vocational College Skills Competition (Higher Vocational Group) came to a successfulconclusion at SZPT. 120 contestants of 60 teams from 30 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities across the country competed fiercely around three major modules: wine tasting and serving, cocktail making and service, and comprehensive ability assessment. In the end, 6 teams won the first prize, 12 teams won the second prize, 18 teams won the third prize, and 12 instructors won the “Excellent Instructors” award.

Wine tasting module

Cocktail making module

Wine serving module

During the competition, the teams competed on the same stage around the three modules, i.e. wine tasting and serving, cocktail making and service, and comprehensive ability assessment. In terms of wine tasting, the contestants were required to taste 5 white wines and 5 red wines on site, and write down the country and origin, grape variety, color, aroma characteristics, tannin, acidity, sweetness, alcohol and other taste characteristics, and also taste 10 spirits, and writedown the varieties, mainingredients, country and origin of spirits. In terms of serving wine, the contestants were required to, by form of scenario simulation of serving wine, complete the setting of wine glasses, the opening of old wine, the decanting of wine, the tasting of wine, the pouring of wine and the sharing of wine. In terms of cocktail making and service, the contestants were required to complete the making and service of two self-created cocktails. In terms of comprehensive ability assessment, the contestants were required to complete the design of single-choice questions and marketing plans.

The opening ceremony site

The competition was sponsored by more than 30 ministries and commissions, including the Ministry of Education, the National Development and Reform Commission, and the Ministry of Science and Technology, organized by the Department of Education of Guangdong Province and the Shenzhen Municipal People's Government, and co-organized by SZPT. It was the first “Beverage Service” segment in Guangdong Province. With the purpose of “drawing on international standards, highlighting Chinese characteristics, getting close to production practices and reflecting the work process”, the competition was designed to assess the comprehensive quality and ability of students majoring in tourism at higher vocational colleges in the process of beverage service, and boost the all-round development of high-quality, technical and comprehensive tourism talents, so as to promote economic and social development.

As the organizer of the competition, SZPT offered the optimal service, the strongest guarantee and the most advanced technology to create the best conditions for the contestants to show their abilities, so that the outcomes of the competition could really provide reference for improving the quality of technical talent training, testing the teaching results, and leading the education and teaching reform.

It is reported that, the hotel management major of our university was founded in 1995, and has been awarded the “Key Major of Higher Vocational Demonstration College in Guangdong Province” and “High-level First-class Major in Guangdong Province”, and has established a national quality course and a national resource library. Over the past five years, SZPT has published more than 10 teaching materials and won the first prize in national and provincial skill competitions for many times. Three training rooms, namely the modern red wine training room, World Skills Competition training room, and catering training room, have been built to help students polish their professional skills. In terms of school-enterprise cooperation, SZPT has maintained long-term cooperation with international well-known hotel groups such as InterContinental and Marriott, and local hotel groups such as Huazhu, to smooth the internship and employment channels for students. The hotel management talents, with solid professional skills and excellent professional quality, have been widely praised by employers in the society.

(Wang Feng, School of Management)