Graduating Hospitality Student Taking On The World

Graduating Hospitality Student Taking On The World

There is no doubt that talented chef Daniel Baird is going to take on the world now that he is graduating with his WelTec and City & Guilds professional Chef qualifications.

Daniel is already a world beater having taken out the top prize as part of a successful duo at the International Culinary Colleges Cooking Competition at Johnson County Community College in Kansas USA last year and also winning a gold medal with the top score in the kitchen at the national 2015 Toque d’Or competition in Auckland. Daniel has also just learned that he will be receiving the City & Guilds international Medal of Excellence Award. This Award is the highest accolade for City & Guilds and has been running for over 100 years. Only 18 medals were awarded to students outside the United Kingdom across a range of subjects. WelTec students have received three Awards in four years

During his time studying with WelTec Daniel held roles at Taylor’s on Jackson and then at Zibibbo restaurants.

“It has been my life-long passion to become a Chef. In the future, I definitely want to work overseas. I finished my job at Zibibbo a couple of weeks ago and am taking some time off for now. I've just been in Sydney on a bit of a food trip and the passion there is so evident. I love Sydney and I'd really love to work there,” says Daniel. “I'm thinking the UK or Australia, Sydney or Melbourne – places where I know a few people, especially through connections from the Kansas competition.”

Daniel is one of more than 3200 students being graduated this week with ceremonies to held on Tuesday 12 April at the Michael Fowler Centre in Wellington and in Auckland on Friday 15 April.

WelTec's Hospitality programmes all incorporate international City & Guilds qualifications, ensuring the programmes are recognised world-wide, so Daniel is well-prepared to work overseas. “City & Guilds and WelTec have a partnership to deliver the best skills, education and training for New Zealanders studying a variety of hospitality programmes. This means graduates can confidently take their skills to the world stage,” says Ben Shadbolt WelTec’s Head of Hospitality.

“When employers are looking through CVs, if an applicant has City & Guilds it's more likely you'd get the role. It's very highly regarded around the world,” says Daniel.

Daniel says along with his new advanced qualifications it had been a real advantage to have built some foundation skills at WelTec. “Without those foundation skills, it would be much more difficult to learn in a restaurant itself. You do have to start with the basics. You can't go straight to the more complex techniques. During competition work, we got to use some of the newer, more advanced pieces of equipment, which was a great experience,” says Daniel.

He pays particular tribute to his tutors for teaching him culinary skills. “The tutors all put in the extra bit of support, especially with competition work where they put in their own time. They definitely go out of their way to make the experience at WelTec better and in providing more opportunities to develop our culinary skills.

“It's a bit of a mixed feeling to be leaving because I've had a blast at WelTec. It's time though to move on and put to use the skills I've learned,” says Daniel.

ENDS

© Scoop Media