Up-and-coming female chefs in regional NSW, including Bega, are being propelled into leadership roles thanks to the expansion of a unique TAFE NSW mentoring program that pairs students with industry leaders.
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While nearly half of accommodation and food services workers in the Capital region are women, women comprise just one in four chefs nationally.
Now in its sixteenth year, the TAFE NSW Tasting Success mentoring program has expanded to the regions for the first time.
The program provides high performing cookery and patisserie students with personalised opportunities to prepare them for career longevity and fast-track their skills, such as working shifts in their mentor's restaurant, attending masterclasses, receiving career advice, and networking with other industry leaders.
Lillian Britton was one of 16 budding female chefs across the state participating in Tasting Success and the first student from TAFE NSW Bega to be selected for the opportunity.
While completing a Certificate III in Commercial Cookery, Lilli received personalised mentorship from Kelly Eastwood, highly regarded for Eastwood's Deli and Cooking School in Bermagui.
She shared some of her program highlights with guests at a long table dinner at TAFE Bega's Barracks Restaurant in October last year.
While earlier this month, Tasting Success mentees celebrated completion of the program with their mentors at a graduation ceremony held in Sydney.
"Participating in the TAFE NSW Tasting Success program was an invaluable experience for me as it provided a unique opportunity to network with like-minded women passionate about the culinary field, while learning practical skills from esteemed industry professionals," Lilli said.
"Being immersed in intensive workshops alongside renowned chefs allowed me to gain firsthand knowledge and expertise that I can directly apply to my journey as a chef."
TV Chef Lyndey Milan OAM is the co-founder and patron of the program, which she said bridged the gap between the industry's need for highly skilled and confident workers and TAFE NSW's unique position as a leading training provider.
"Tasting Success is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that pairs aspiring female chefs with leading chefs and gives them the self-confidence, self-awareness, and skills they need to be leaders in the industry," Ms Milan said.
"Our industry mentors are carefully chosen to show the next generation of female chefs what's possible and expose them to best industry practice and produce they might not otherwise see.
"In addition to the mentoring component, students have attended a number of specialised workshops to build their skills like leadership and resilience in the kitchen, social media marketing, food styling, food and wine matching, business principles for chefs and personal presentation and media training.
"They also had the opportunity to extend existing skills through masterclasses with industry leaders such as celebrated chef Josh Niland from Fish Butchery, who is part of our TAFE NSW alumni. It's very comprehensive and has proven to create well-rounded, capable chefs."
TAFE NSW head teacher of commercial cookery Sheridan Marz said the expansion of the program would go a long way to securing the long-term career outcomes of cookery students across the state.
"TAFE NSW is proud to be investing in lifelong learning opportunities and support through industry connections to help our students stay in the field and succeed in their career and become our future industry leaders," she said.
"Thanks to Tasting Success, these highly skilled and capable female chefs are ready to succeed in the industry from day one. However they choose to shape their career in the food service industry, the comprehensive program and exposure to expert practices will benefit their local communities and economies."
