Students preparing for WorldSkills competitions

4th August 2003

Students of the North Coast Institute, Port Macquarie campus are full of nervous energy today as they prepare for the regional WorldSkills competition tomorrow, part of the local TAFE Week celebrations.

WorldSkills Australia is a not-for-profit organisation which conducts trade and skill competitions to challenge young people to achieve work skills excellence. The program helps students stay motivated academically by focusing on the ‘fun’ of learning through interesting and diverse skill challenges.

The restaurant services category will be a major area of competition tomorrow with judging occurring in everything from napkin folding, to cocktail making and serving lunch. During the lunch the participants will serve a four course lunch with wines, including full silver service of the main course and gueridon service of dessert which requires the waiter to prepare, cook and serve the dessert in front of the customer at the table.

The lunch guests include the local MP Robert Oakeshott and sponsors of the Regional Worldskills Competition representing Souths Seafood, Port Fresh Fruit & Vegetables, Cooks Concept and Hastings Milk. Other sponsors also include Colonial Butchery, Pye Provedores, Mid North Coast Tea & Coffee, Krio Krush and Cassegrain Wines.

Many of the faces we see serving and preparing in our Port Macquarie restaurants are studying the Certificate IV in Hospitality (Supervision) or the Advanced Diploma in Hospitality Management and will be participating in tomorrows competition. Competitors include;

• Danielle Campbell – works at Watermans Café Restaurant in Wauchope and at Watermans new venture JuCo a juice and coffee bar in Port Macquarie.
• Matthew Weatherstone – works at the Lighthouse Food Company in both food preparation and front of house service.
• Megan Laing – Megan is a mother and full time student.
• Andrew Armitage - Andrew works as a motor mechanic as well as studying full time.
• Rujiraporn Omsin – Cooks the mouth watering Thai cuisine at the Spicy Kruathai in Port Macquarie.
• Corrine Banks – works at Relish by the River in North Haven, preparing coffees, waiting and some food preparation.

The WorldSkills competition is one of the key local activities to celebrate TAFE Week. The public are invited to the Port Macquarie campus between 10 – 2pm tomorrow to view the competitions, and get a copy of the 2004 Course and Career Guide which outlines many of the study options at the North Coast Institute for next year.