Apprentice Chef Tanika Warrell joins Sodexo Kuditj
Tanika is a Young Aboriginal Noongar woman who began her School Based Traineeship with Kuditj 2 years ago. Tanika has always had a keen interest in the Hospitality industry, especially in the kitchen!
Every Friday, Tanika would show up for her shift through school based placement with great energy and enthusiasm. Tanika has shown a real commitment and drive to create a clear path for her future.
” I’ve always really enjoyed cooking and trying different foods […] I realised pretty quickly that I’d like to become chef once I graduated school and I’m very happy with this opportunity to achieve my goals,” says Tanika.
After completing her Traineeship Certificate 2 in hospitality through the SMYL programme, Tanika has recently undertaken a full Chef Apprenticeship at Kuditj. At just 17 years old, Tanika is excited to start her training under the guidance of Head Chef Phil Park & Sous Chef George Seal. On behalf of Sodexo, the team at Kuditj is extremely excited to offer Tanika a full chef apprenticeship. Chef Phil and George both look forward to sharing their knowledge and experience with Tanika during her apprenticeship.
“We constantly challenge Tanika with her skills , knowledge, creativity and allow her to learn from her own mistakes. Tanika has shown the desire to learn new tasks, has good organisation and retains information well. For me these are all great attributes to succeed not just as a chef, but in life. Apart from the cooking side we encourage Tanika to find a healthy work life balance through sport and activities and to always enjoy what she is doing. But most of all I’d say Tanika’s passion for food is the key element in her journey to become a chef”, says Chef Phil Park.
Tanika adds, “My whole family are definitely proud of me, especially for getting a full time job straight after I finished school. They are really impressed with my work ethic over the last few years and are happy to see my hard work paying off.”
Chef Park gives the following advice, “My advice for aspiring youngsters is to test the waters through work experience first and if you decide to pursue a career in hospitality fully commit and learn as much as you can during your apprenticeship for this is the foundation of your career. Remember the golden rule that you get out what you put in and you can only give 100% if you enjoy what you are doing.”
Mentors at Kuditj help provide assistance and support in the development and training for any Aboriginal School based Trainees and the staff at Kuditj. Sodexo has diverse employment pathways and flexible working arrangements through a national approach to training and apprenticeships, working with various TAFEs and not- for-profit organisations.
