KALAMUNDA Senior High School recently hosted the 2024 WorldSkills Australia north regional hospitality competition.

The event, a highlight in the vocational education calendar, brought together Year 11 students to showcase their culinary talents and compete for top honours.

The competition at Kalamunda Senior High School was designed to test the students’ basic cookery skills as they prepared a two-course menu, with three portions of each dish, within a set time limit.

The project aimed to evaluate the competitors in several key areas including demonstrating basic cookery skills for a two-course menu, displaying competence in handling tools and showcasing skills in all basic kitchen preparations, innovation and use of garnishes to enhance presentation and stimulate appetite.

The participants were judged against a set of criteria by two judges, including ex-student Vicky Gregory, who brings extensive industry experience to the table.

Congratulations to the medal recipients for their outstanding performances: with gold going to Megan Schwinkowski, silver to Shayla Fazari and bronze to Findlay Scobbie.

One of the students in the competition, Shayla said this was the best experience she had ever had at school.

“It was great to see each student’s creativity in designing their dish, and how each overcame any challenges that arose,” judge Alex Gallagher said.

“Each student dedicated significant effort to the planning and preparation of their dishes and what a joy to see their ideas come together on the day.”

Teacher Sophie Bee said the quality of the students’ work was exceptionally high, and she felt immense pride in all of their achievements.

WorldSkills’ mission is to influence, challenge, and support Australians in contributing to a sustainable economy through the development, recognition, and promotion of skills excellence.

Over the years, they have raised awareness among hundreds of thousands of young Australians, their parents, industry leaders, and employers about the critical importance of a robust skills training system for the future.