Cookery Skills
Practical kitchen training for young people with a disability and autism.
This two-year program helps prepare you for paid cooking roles, including food preparation, baking, and common kitchen tasks.
What you will learn
Gain hands-on skills in a real café restaurant kitchen environment with the full support of experienced trainers and chefs.
Our Cookery Skills teaches you how to:
- Safely use kitchen equipment and tools
- Prepare and cut ingredients for a range of meals
- Bake, fry, steam, boil, and cook food to order
- Work with speed and accuracy for job-ready time management
- Meet a professional standard of food safety and hygiene
- Communicate to effectively support your team
- Batch cook dishes and plate them up professionally
Training at STEPS Café on George
All training will take place at STEPS Café on George, a non-profit café in the heart of Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast.
Between our industrial-grade food preparation and cooking stations and short-order menu, you will have everything you need to prepare for employment opportunities in commercial kitchens.
But Cookery Skills is more than just practical experience with industry-standard equipment and practices.
STEPS Pathways College was built to help young people with a disability and autism create a brighter future, filled with possibility and independence. Through Cookery Skills, we aim to help you take the next step towards a confident, fulfilling life and reach your goals, whatever they may be.
Who is Cookery Skills for
This professional cooking training program was designed to support people with a disability and starts at a very accessible level.
You can access this program through your NDIS funding or choose to self-fund. Our friendly Customer Care Team can help you and your support network navigate the application, enrolment and funding processes. You do not need to be a STEPS Pathways College student to access the Cookery Skills program.
Take the next step
If you are interested in joining our Cookery Skills program or learning more about what it has to offer, we would love to talk.
Café Skills
Are you more interested in customer service and front-of-house hospitality roles?
We offer a Café Skills program, also based at STEPS Café on George.
FAQs
Do I need to be a STEPS Pathways College student to join Cookery Skills?
No, you do not need to be a STEPS Pathways College student. Cookery Skills is available to young people with a disability and autism who are ready to take the first step towards employability skills.
How long is hospitality training?
Cookery Skills is a two-year program split into four ‘phases,’ each covering a different aspect of back-of-house hospitality work while continuing to help you develop core professional skills.
Where are classes?
All classes will be held at STEPS Café on George in Caloundra on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.
How much does hospitality training cost?
Cookery Skills can be accessed either through NDIS funding or a fee-for-service arrangement. Our Customer Care Team will help you explore your options.
