Sarah is completing the Certificate III in Commercial Cookery, in hopes reaching her career goal of becoming a private chef.
Sarah chose to study at the Polytechnic as her family is part of the VU community as current students and alumni. “I like the idea of investing in the west as I live locally,” says Sarah.
“I enjoy the practical side of my course – I like the hands-on experience. We have three different cookery teachers and they all bring something unique to the table. My teachers helpful and are willing to teach us even things that are outside of the course content.”
The suite of hospitality, tourism and events courses are delivered at the Footscray Nicholson hospitality training centre. The centre boasts three state-of-the-art commercial kitchens with the latest cooking equipment, two demonstration kitchens, a training bar, and an award-winning 150-seat training restaurant, VenU, where students can practice their skills in a live environment.
“I like the fact that everything is in the same building – you see the same people all the time. It has a real community vibe within the hospitality building. You build meaningful relationships in our classes.”
The Certificate III in Commercial Cookery is part of the Free TAFE for Priority Courses initiative. As a career changer, Free TAFE has definitely encouraged Sarah to take up further studies.
Reflecting on her career journey in cookery, Sarah looks forward to making industry connections and refining techniques through on-the-job training.