Matthew McKenzie now known as Outback Matty, never imagined that just a few years after completing his enrolment at the TAFE institute and working as an apprentice that he would be working at the most prestigious French restaurant in Australia, Vue de Monde.
He studied for two years on a full time basis to complete his certificate III in cooking while simultaneously working at restaurant Fifteen under Jamie Oliver. He accredits much of his success as an apprentice chef actually to one of Jamie Oliver’s close friends, celebrity chef Tobie Puttock.
He expressed that working at Fifteen while studying at the same time really provided him with a diversity and range of skills that has given him the leverage to succeed at such a young age.
He remarked, “Gaining the formal qualification gave me an advantage in the workforce as there is a lot of competition out there. The course really helped me to experience what it would be like working in the real world and I really enjoyed that factor. TAFE is very practical and hands-on.”
He continued on to say that the training also provided the opportunity to make connections and networks as well as receive support from peers and teachers. He felt that choosing TAFE was also the best decision for him because of the flexibility it allowed since he was given the ability to study full time and complete his certificate in only two years.
With regards to the classes he took, Matthew says, “Essentially my course provided me with the basic knowledge of the industry and gave me more belief in myself. It could be challenging at times but very rewarding. Since approaching my local TAFE I have gone on to full-time employment and am achieving many of my career goals.”’
Beyond his successful job, he has performed a live cooking demonstration at Melbourne’s Buddha’s Day Festival as well as filming a short podcast for jamieoliver.com, and then his talents were called overseas where he was asked to go to Japan to launch Australia’s first Winter Olympic Gold Medalist Steven Bradbury’s Bar and Restaurant with his own signature dishes.
He now caters for high profile clients the State Premier, Governor, and other famous Australian artists and actors and also is the head chef at the historical Old Government house in Queensland. He continues to be featured on television shows and endowed with awards for his great achievements, all of which began with TAFE and his apprenticeship.
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