BALLARAT’S Scott Dowsley has been a welder, bar man and truck driver in the past.
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But last week the 44-year-old chef received a surprise award in his new career.
The Novotel Forest Resort Creswick commis chef received a Federation University Craftsperson Award for his participation and enthusiasm towards his Certificate III in hospitality (commercial cookery) TAFE course.
Mr Dowsley said the entire experience was surreal.
“I opened the letter and had no idea what it was for. It was completely out of the blue,” he said.
And much like his recent award win, Mr Dowsley scored his job at the Novotel in a similar fashion.
“I was joking around with a guy I used to go to school with whether there were any jobs out at Creswick,” he said.
“He said he’d find out and told me they did, so I applied.”
Mr Dowsley now works in a team of eight chefs and has been preparing fine-dining cuisines at the Novotel for two years.
Before landing the gig at the Novotel, Mr Dowsley had worked as a truck driver, bar man, welder, warehouse worker and kitchen hand. He said you were never too old to start a new career.
“It was something that I wanted to do for a long time and the opportunity came up,” he said.
The Craftsperson Awards are presented to apprentices who completed their training at FedUni. They are a joint initiative of the University, the City of Ballarat and the Rotary Club of Ballarat.