9 June 2004

Jade gunstone and Dale Harker with silver medals from WorldSkills Australia finals in Brisbane

Two Charles Darwin University students have picked up silver medals in the National WorldSkills Australia finals held in Brisbane last week.

Jade Gunstone and Dale Harker, both Year 12 Hospitality and Tourism students, competed against six other finalists representing every region of Australia in each category in the VET in Schools section.

Ms Harker, competing in Food and Beverage Service, was delighted with being named runner-up and now has a better appreciation of the quality of facilities at the Alice Springs Campus.

“The standard of the Desert Lantern Restaurant at Charles Darwin University In Alice Springs where I did my training is way above what they expected us to work with in Brisbane. In Brisbane we had to do everything on school tables and desks. It just goes to show what a great facility we have here in Alice,” Ms Harker said.

Ms Harker’s competition was held during three days and consisted of setting and serving a breakfast, a lunch a dinner and a series of mocktails. She was required to complete a number of tasks within a given timeframe, including greet and seat guests and use all correct service procedures. She was judged on Grooming and Uniform, Mise en Place, Table Set Up and Meal Service.

Ms Harker is continuing studying Hospitality at Charles Darwin and wants to eventually specialise in Hotel Management at a major international hotel in France or Singapore.

Meanwhile, Ms Gunstone, competing in the Tourism category, has decided to concentrate on her passion for photography with the aim of eventually work for a fashion company or magazine.

“I enjoy tourism and the competition was exciting and it’s opened a few doors for me with a few job offers, but I’m going to continue my university studies in photography,” Ms Gunstone said.

Ms Gunstone’s competition involved running a tourist agency consisting of six tasks per day for three days with the Queensland Department of Tourism involved in the judging.

“We had to deal with clients, make bookings, handle complaints, confirm itineraries and so forth. All the other competitors work part-time in an agency so they were really nervous because their careers depended on the results. I just had fun.”

Morag McGrath, Head of School Tourism and Hospitality, said, “The girls were competing at a national level and showed that they are as good as, if not better, than the other states. Our staff are incredibly proud of them.”

Ms Gunstone and Ms Harker agree on recommending others enter the competition, “It gives you options and you get hands-on experience.