Cookery student wins at Australian Training Awards

Colin Wilson has won the Australian Apprentice of the Year Award

Holmesglen graduate apprentice, Colin Wilson has won best apprentice in Australia at the 2011 Australian Training Awards.

The Australian Training Awards held on 25 November in Brisbane are the peak, national awards for the vocational education and training (VET) sector, recognising and rewarding organisations and individuals for their outstanding contribution to skilling Australia.

Colin worked in various jobs and industries for 20 years before deciding on a career change and return to study as an apprentice chef. Not an easy decision considering he has a wife and child. Colin completed his Certificate III in Commercial Cookery in November 2010 whilst also working as an apprentice chef at the well known Chateau Yering. Executive Chef Mathew Macartney says Colin “is an outstanding apprentice – he has a natural flair for food and a passion to succeed.” This is proven by his long list of awards and achievements. In 2011 he was a finalist at the Holmesglen Awards Festival for the Outstanding Apprentice Award category who then went on to win the Victorian State Training Award.

“The fact that Colin won both the Victoria State Training Award and the Australian Training Award is breathtaking. Colin made the most of the opportunities Holmesglen offers its apprentices. He has maximised the outcome of his course and achieved a great deal from his efforts”, said, Greg O’Shea, Hospitality Teaching Centre Manger at Holmesglen. He also added “This is also a reflection on the efforts of Holmesglen staff and their commitment to training the industry leaders of tomorrow”.

Colin has had the opportunity to cook with top chefs including Gordon Ramsay, Neil Perry, Tobie Puttock, Inaki Aizitarte, Sat Bains and Matt Moran. In addition, in 2010 Colin was one of four winning apprentice chefs announced in the Restaurant & Catering Victoria 2010 Thierry Marx Career Development Award. As such he travelled to France to realise his dream of working with Michelin Star Chef Thierry Marx at his 18th Century Chateau Cordeillan-Bages in Bordeaux.

“I have always had a passion and interest in food and along with the support of my wife and family I made a significant career change and have dedicated myself to cooking – it is my first love and my goal is to one day run my own restaurant” said Colin.

Colin Wilson is a true success story. His achievements whilst studying Vocational Education and training at Holmesglen have put him in good stead for a very successful career as a chef.

Watch an interview with Colin Wilson about his win on SkillsOne TV.