Kym crafts her distilling career with TAFE Queensland

Working at the Tamborine Mountain destination, she became fascinated by the science and creativity behind craft beverage production and decided to build her skills through education and training.

“I wanted to do something a bit different, and I'd always had an interest in science and how things work,” Kym said.

“I started doing a few bottling shifts and then sat down with the team and said, ‘I really want to learn how to do this properly and get out of the back and make things.’”

Through TAFE Queensland’s Certificate III in Food Processing (Brewing)(FBP30121) qualification, Kym gained hands-on experience in brewing operations.

From fermentation, quality control and production processes, she learnt from industry experts at TAFE Queensland’s Mt Gravatt campus.

“The facilities at Mt Gravatt were incredible, and the teachers were full of knowledge,” she said.

“I went in knowing very little about brewing and came out with so much information and confidence. It really surprised me how much I learned in a short space of time.”

The qualification opened the door to new opportunities at Cauldron Distillery, where Kym transitioned from hospitality into production and began applying her skills directly in the workplace.

“It gave me the confidence to walk into situations and know what I was talking about,” she said.

“I was able to bring that knowledge back to work and contribute to projects we were developing, particularly around fermentation and future whisky production.”

Kym later became one of the first participants in TAFE Queensland’s Certificate III in Food Processing (Distilling) (FBP30121-DISTIL), through the Manufacturing Skills Queensland (MSQ) Craft Distilling Pilot Project.

Developed in partnership with MSQ, the industry-led initiative was designed to address skills shortages and create a formal training pathway for Queensland’s growing craft spirits sector.

“The distilling course expanded on what I already knew and helped me understand the finer details of the industry,” Kym said.

“You learn more about maturation, production standards and the regulations behind different spirits. It really built on the practical experience I was already gaining at work.”

Today, Kym is helping produce the artisan spirits that have made Cauldron Distillery, which showcases Queensland-inspired botanicals and flavours drawn from the region’s unique natural environment.

For Kym, being able to contribute to a locally owned distillery producing premium spirits inspired by the landscape around her has transformed a casual job into a rewarding career.

“I never thought I’d end up in this industry, but now I couldn’t imagine doing anything else,” she said.

“TAFE Queensland gave me the skills, knowledge and confidence to build a career doing something I genuinely love.”

With aspirations to become a head distiller and develop her own range of spirits, Kym is proof that the right training can turn curiosity into a career.

“It all started with TAFE Queensland - without those courses, I wouldn’t be where I am today,” concluded Kym.