Three years ago, Fou Fale was stuck behind a desk shuffling paperwork at an inner-city company. “I was trying to find that sense of thriving in my life – but I lacked it,” says the 29-year-old.
With the help of Māori and Pasifika Trades Training scholarship, Fou has been able to pursue his true passion: cooking. He’s now excelling in his Certificate in Cookery (Level 3 and 4) at Manukau Institute of Technology (MIT).
Along with his studies, Fou is completing a work experience placement at Turanga Creek Vineyard. Manager Sarah Allen says finding the right chef for the restaurant had been “extremely hard.”
“I approached MIT because a regular customer suggested that I could find a good chef there. Choosing Fou was easy.”
Over the past year, the Tourism Industry Association and Hospitality NZ have highlighted the shortage of chefs in New Zealand. With tourist numbers expected to rise by two million in the next ten years, it’s predicted the country will need 6,000 more chefs.
Cherie Freeman, Dean of MIT’s Faculty of Consumer Services, says: “The demand for chefs is enormous. We actually get more job offers than we have graduates.”
“Our students do work placements as part of their studies so they can gain real-world experience. We also run three semesters each year, 51 weeks of training in total, so students can get their Diploma in just 16 months,” says Cherie.
Fou’s dream is to one day run his own catering business. “That’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time but I needed to get the qualification first. It’s pretty full-on juggling my training, kids and this new responsibility as Head Chef, but it’s been awesome.”
Watch Fou share his journey through Māori and Pasifika Trades Training here.
More information about Māori and Pasifika Trades Training can be found here, and details about MIT’s culinary programmes are available here. This article was prepared with support from Māori and Pasifika Trades Training: Auckland.
Email:
