Bakery student hungry for WorldSkills success

 "I was diagnosed with Coeliac Disease when I was two years old, but I decided not to let that stop me," explained Oli.

Oli took that passion and began baking in 2018 at Woolworths as a skilled non-trade person, but decided to study patisserie, having fallen in love with decorating cakes and baking pretty things.

Studying the Certificate III in Patisserie (SIT31021) at TAFE Queensland's South Bank campus, Oli quickly learned the practical skills and foundation knowledge required to go next level in the kitchen and discovered a love for baking bread in the process.

Oli's skills developed rapidly under Bakery teacher Jade Halloran's guidance, who prompted Oli to compete in WorldSkills.

"Jade is the person who first told me about the Regional WorldSkills competition and encouraged me to compete. It seemed like a fun way to challenge my skills and provide more motivation to try new things with my passion for making bread," said Oli.

After winning Gold at WorldSkills Regional Patisserie and Retail Baking - Bread competition in Queensland, Oli earned the right to compete in Melbourne at the WorldSkills National Championships.

The national competition is a three-day event where more than 500 young people drawn from 34 regions across Australia come together to vie for the title of WorldSkills Australia National Champion in their chosen trade.

Oli hopes to win Gold again, making the national team to represent Australia at the International Competition in Lyon, France, 2024.

"The regionals were quite full on, quite intense, but I still produced some fantastic products, winning the Gold Medal. Now, I'm memorising every process, tweaking tiny variables every single time and repeating that process until I get it right," explained Oli.

Still working at Woolworths, Oli is perfecting the art of baking by making dough and baking bread while at work and training with TAFE Queensland's teachers between shifts.

Helping Oli to prepare even further is teacher Jade Halloran, who has volunteered to train at the South Bank kitchens three days per week for the past six months, further refining her skills.

"Jade is amazing, she has so much knowledge that she enthusiastically passes on to her students, and she genuinely cares about helping the next generation of bakers fulfil their potential," explained Oli.

"She taught me skills in cake and pastry skills and techniques to work in a commercial kitchen. Every time I train at TAFE, everyone is willing to try my items and give me feedback, and it's just blown me away, and I've learnt so much."

The national competition will require the bakers to make a variety of productions one would learn throughout an apprenticeship to display their bakery skills, creating everything from basic white loaves to artisan croissants, sourdoughs, and baguettes.

"I've also been reading a lot and spending many days in this kitchen, ensuring everything I do is right. I also entered the Toowoomba Bread show and came third for my home-baked sourdough, which boosted my confidence," continued Oli.

Oli says TAFE Queensland is a fantastic place to build the technical and practical skills and foundation knowledge required to work in a pastry kitchen or continue with further study.

"TAFE Queensland's facilities are impressive, and studying here prepares you for the real world."

"It's such a great environment, and every classroom has amazing equipment, and there's always something new to learn," said Oli.

Oli now looks forward to making bread and pastries, competing with the best apprentice baker from each state and territory.

"Being there and making bread that I am proud of would mean the most to me," said Oli. 

"Regardless of winning, I just want to do my best. But if I won, moving on to competing internationally would provide an awesome opportunity to test my skills further and learn much more about this craft."