VET training opens doors globally

Technical expertise is as important as practical skills to secure a good job, according to Vocational Education and Training (VET) student Misha Kostkova.

Misha is studying for a Certificate III in Retail Baking at Charles Darwin University and dreams of working in a Paris patisserie.

“My parents told me you have to study hard and get a qualification if you want to succeed,” Misha said.

She was handpicked to assist world-renowned chocolatier Pascal Janvier at a recent demonstration at Palmerston campus.

“It was such a good experience,” she said. “My training at CDU certainly helped me and I would love to follow in his footsteps and work in a fancy restaurant as a dessert chef.”

The United Nations General Assembly has designated 15 July as World Youth Skills Day to raise awareness of the importance of investing in youth skills development. 

CDU Pro Vice-Chancellor VET Ms Christine Robertson said Misha was a prime example of how the university provided young people with the skills to get ahead in life.

“We are in the business of giving our students the technical and practical know-how to succeed,” Ms Robertson said.

She said the number of CDU VET graduates in employment after training was higher than the national average.

“According to 2016 data, more than 90 per cent of our graduates have found employment within four months,” she said.

“VET qualifications open up doors not only locally, but all over the world. 

“A good pastry chef – or any other skilled tradesperson – can work anywhere from Darwin to Sydney, or London and Paris,” she said.

“It’s a passport to their future.”