Food technology and hospitality subjects are very popular at high schools. This is driven in no small part by TV food shows like Masterchef, and people like Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay. Whatever you think of TV chefs, the interest in cooking is very welcome – now we need to leverage this to turn keen students into our keen young employees!

In this interview I went back to school and talked with a Food Tech teacher and three students at Auburn High School in Melbourne. We discussed the most popular parts of the their cooking course, the range of topics covered, the Masterchef factor and what they imagine is the life of a chef in a restaurant or cafe. It’s time to make friends with your local hospitality teachers and students - talent is waiting!