A PROMISING future in cooking lies before three young men who recently completed a six-week-course thanks to a local businessman who believes everyone needs a chance – no matter what their background.
On Tuesday, March 31, the Eastern Reporter published the story about how Royal Shalimar Indian Restaurant managing director Kiran Kosagi was planning to teach young people to cook.
This was after his restaurant was the target of vandalism and theft, and he wanted to train young people in order to give them a purpose.
Last Friday two of the three graduates of the pilot program cooked a lunch for those who helped make the program possible.
They now hold a Certificate II of attainment in kitchen operation and are keen to go on to either pursue apprenticeships or further their work in the industry.
Mr Kosagi said the program was done, in a partnership with St Anthony’s Institute of Business and Technology, of which he is a board member.
The young chefs were taught theory at the Morley Police and Citizens Youth Centre (PCYC) and were able to put their knowledge into practice in the Royal Shalimar kitchen under the guidance of tutor Rami Rahman and head chef Lakashmana Kesavan .
Mr Kosagi said the program had shown him if kids were given a chance, they would prove themselves. “It was a learning curve, it was a challenge when I started I didn’t know how it was going to turn out,” he said.
“The interest shown by the kids impressed me.”
He said the program was co-ordinated with funding from the Office of Crime Prevention.
Mr Kosagi said he was encouraged to run the program again and he was trying to source outside funding to make this happen. Program participant Reuben Rickards (16) said he had enjoyed taking part.
“I was kind of interested in cooking before but now I am really interested,” he said. He is now hoping to get an apprenticeship and would like to go on to become a chef.