Culinary students were given the ultimate real-life experience this past summer.

Four students were selected for a work-place exchange held in Austria.  Two of those students were Kaityn Fisher and Taylor Iwaasa.

The opportunity of a lifetime wasn’t handed over easily. The selection process was similar to a job application. Students were required to write resumes, cover letters and have references.

“They looked at grades, they looked at attendance and we had to do an interview,” Fisher says.

From May 21 to June 18, the students stayed and worked in the small tourist town of Semmering.

With regular work schedules they took on full responsibilities and hands-on experience in various hotels and restaurants.

“They were short staffed when we arrived there so we took on full shifts,” said Iwaasa. “There were days when we worked nine or 10 hours.”

The students were split into groups and given shifts throughout different restaurants. Depending on where they worked some places weren’t as busy as others.

“We had some serving shifts as well, so we’d clear tables, polish cutlery, just whatever they needed help with,” Fisher said. “It was a good learning experience.”

Though the students were usually separated, they did have days where they got to work together.

“We did a Canadian supper for the people in Semmering,” Fisher said.

What did they showcase? Canadian beef.

“All of our dishes had some form of [Canadian beef] in there,” said Iwaasa. “Then we showed them the quality of it.”

Apart from the Canadian supper the students worked together to cook for the Embassy- a big highlight of the trip.

This coming summer four students from Austria will be here to work in local restaurants much like Fisher and Iwaasa did.

The Austrian students will also be given the opportunity to tour southern Alberta.

 

 

Photo by Kayla Nash: Taylor Iwaasa and Kaitlyn Fisher were two of four Lethbridge College students to attend a work-place exchange in Austria over the summer.