Juliet Savva, Class of 2021, has been recognised for her professionalism and exceptional work ethic after winning the Hospitality – Commercial Cookery category in the Student Work Placement Awards. Juliet was nominated for the award following outstanding feedback from her host employer during her final year of study at Meriden.
The awards, hosted by MWLP – Linking Youth, recognise senior students who have demonstrated excellence during a work placement completed as part of a vocational course. After being nominated as one of three finalists earlier this year, Juliet recently attended an awards ceremony where the winning student in each category was announced.
Over five-hundred host employers are invited to nominate students for the awards each year. Work placement is a mandatory component of the HSC Vocational Education and Training (VET) Hospitality course. Students are matched with a host employer for a week-long work placement during which they complete the duties that would be expected in a hospitality role.
Juliet said her award was a bonus to an experience that prepared her for the real-life expectations of employment.
“I was fortunate to have had significant trust placed upon me from day one of my work placement. As the week progressed, my colleagues gained greater trust in my skills and capabilities,” said Juliet.
“I learned how to perform under pressure and the importance of seeking clarity when needed. I was able to put into practice the skills I had gained at Meriden in a real working environment. Most of all, the experience improved my confidence and helped me to realise that I can achieve great things with hard work,” she said.
Juliet, who is now completing a Bachelor of Science at UNSW, said that although she has decided against pursuing a career in hospitality, she is already putting the skills she learned while studying hospitality into practice.
“Gaining interpersonal skills and learning how to provide exceptional customer service have assisted me in my current job in a retail store. I have no doubt the experience will put me in good stead within my Science career in the future,” said Juliet.
Congratulations, Juliet. We look forward to hearing more about your achievements as you continue to follow your dreams.
