COOKING UP SUCCESS

blueprint australian industry trade college

Cooking up success with talent and a great attitude

When Lewis believed his future career was in finding a trade, he made the switch to the AITC. Even though he needed to repeat Year 11 to take full advantage of the AITC industry and education program, Lewis was determined to find his path—and he also insisted on paying his own way. What began as finding a pathway turned into recognising his gifts and now his talents are sought after by others in his industry.

Initially Lewis tried various trades at the AITC—like most young people he wanted to find the right fit. He tried construction and after two weeks the company talked about signing him up. However, they wanted Lewis to drop out of school which was not an option Lewis would consider as he believed that would be “wasting two years of education.”

“Construction was alright but not for me,” says Lewis, so he tried cooking. “I do it a lot at home. I thought ‘Why not, what do I have to lose?’ I liked it.” However, at the time, Lewis didn’t know if it was what he really wanted to do and needed encouragement. “Everyone said I would be silly not to because they said I was gifted at it.”

He began his work experience at Jets Leagues Club Ipswich. “I was nervous as anyone would be. You turn up not knowing what’s in store for you. My first shift was three hours and all I did was prep veggies. I thought I could get used to this, low stress, cutting up vegetables. They threw me into the deep end but in a good way. It progressed me a lot faster because they put a lot of trust in me from the get-go.”

With four main sections of the kitchen, Lewis progressed rapidly through food prep, salads, onto the frier and onto the pans. “That’s when things start getting a bit stressful because you’re cooking food instead of dropping it into hot oil. That’s when I thought, I’m doing quite well.”

Before his sign-up he was called in to replace someone who was sick and worked in a team of three to prepare for a huge event—the Football Grand Final night. “I was all they had. I had to do pans and we did 190 covers which was massive at the time. I was pretty excited about it afterwards.”

Lewis admits he was “very nervous” leading up to the event. “Once I was there, I was fine. I used my head, tried to be as efficient as I could and it worked out smoothly. Now I don’t stress. You go there, head down, bum up and work—tackle it as it comes.”

Lewis’s excellent reputation is gaining momentum throughout the food network. “I’ve had other kitchens contact me and ask me if I want to come for a day or check them out. But this is great for me, it’s convenient too and I’ll finish my apprenticeship with Jets.”

With his culinary gift, and amazing work ethic, this star is on the rise. “I give my 100%. I don’t like to let people down.” His successful attitude comes from the AITC values he