General News
4 August, 2022
Local students give back through their cooking
Over the past seven weeks Maryborough Education Centre (MEC) students have been hard at work preparing meals which have been donated to The Salvation Army and Mill House for those in need. The program is part of the Specialist School Based...
Over the past seven weeks Maryborough Education Centre (MEC) students have been hard at work preparing meals which have been donated to The Salvation Army and Mill House for those in need.
The program is part of the Specialist School Based Apprenticeship and Traineeship program with 13 students currently undertaking a year-long course to gain a Certificate II in Food Processing.
Students have been preparing a large variety of meals, including sandwiches, tuna bake, potato bake, veggie soup and fruit salad while learning skills like cutting, chopping and peeling.
MEC teacher Kaine Bodey said the program had been beneficial for the students taking part, who were not only learning new skills and gaining a qualification, but also giving back to the community.
“On a Wednesday the students complete their bookwork and on Thursday we come to the Maryborough Football Netball Club’s clubrooms and use their facilities to prepare soups, fruit salads, pasta dishes and sandwiches which are donated to The Salvation Army and Mill House,” he said.
“The students are engaged with it all, it’s been really good and considering most of them have been doing their schooling stuck in a classroom for the last 10-12 years, being able to get out, be hands-on and learn something new while helping the community is great.”
Trainer and assessor Nino Renato said students had been learning a wide range of skills and combining them to create meals.
“We have been learning simple peeling and cutting skills and also learning how to put together recipes,” he said.
“Students have also been taught skills in regards to food safety around hot oils, hot water and how to manage stovetops and ovens.
“When we first started, some students had never used a stovetop and now we are getting to the point they can manage it successfully and take things off the stove.”
Fruit and vegetables have been donated by Maryborough IGA, Woolworths and Coles, as well as Bendigo FoodShare.
