18 October 2024
In recognition of International Chefs Day on 20 October, South Metropolitan TAFE (SM TAFE) commemorates our chefs and cooks in training, along with the dedication and hard work required to become fully qualified in the field. We are also taking this opportunity to recognise SM TAFE commercial cookery student Alexis, who recently won Apprentice of the Year for WA in the Australian Culinary Federation’s National Apprentices Competition.
"I was very shocked! It didn't register straight away at all. It took a while because it's something I wasn't actually expecting and it was a whole new skill and experience."
Alexis
SM TAFE cookery student
Last month, Alexis went on to compete on a national level at Fine Food Australia 2024 and placed third overall in the Apprentice of the Year competition!
This is an outstanding achievement for a first-year apprentice of 16 years old and we congratulate Alexis on the drive she demonstrated to take part in the competition, representing the next generation of chefs.
In the national comp, she showcased her skills before the judging panel, cooking a lamb rump with a side of potato mash and pea puree.
Alexis explained she was initially shocked to realise she took out Apprentice of the Year at the state comp and felt proud to have come third in the nationals.
“I was proud of myself because it was something I wasn’t expecting and it’s a whole new skill and experience,” she said.
Undertaking the SIT30821 Certificate III in Commercial Cookery, Alexis is completing her apprenticeship with her employer whilst also training at SM TAFE.
She enjoys the real-world learning environment at SM TAFE and also loves working for her employer The Standard Gauge in Chidlow, where she gets the opportunity to work alongside Michelin-star chef Alan Wise in a busy two-person team.
“We do everything from serving guests, polishing glasses, preparing and presenting dishes, to doing the dishes. Alan makes learning fun and entertaining!” Alexis said.
International Chefs Day, founded by the late Chef Dr. Bill Gallagher in 2004, is a day to celebrate the noble profession of cheffing and how chefs inspire the younger generation.
At SM TAFE, our talented cookery lecturers are industry specialists with a wealth of culinary experience - we thank them for their time spent shaping and nurturing students for their future careers in the kitchen!
Got a dream to become a fully qualified chef?
Our cookery qualifications will give you job-ready skills to start a career as a professional cook or chef. The course is currently fee-free!*
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Check out the Certificate III in Commercial Cookery
You'll learn in the real-life setting of our award-winning Bentley Pines Training Restaurant at Bentley campus, or Saltbush Training Restaurant at Mandurah campus.
Applications for Semester 1, 2025 are now open!
Alexis in the training kitchen at the SM TAFE Bentley campus.
Working hard during the national comp.
Alexis (far left) winning gold in WA.
Alexis is a first year cookery apprentice at SM TAFE, with a bright future ahead.
*Fee free in 2024. The tuition fees are 100 per cent subsidised by the WA Government for WA residents. Some eligibility conditions apply for the free training, and other fees may apply for some courses. Please visit our Skills Ready page for further information. Tuition fees are free, but resource fees may be payable for some courses.