When Trae Kennedy was exposed to the aromas of the kitchen at just 16 years-old while working as a dish pig, he knew he wanted to be a chef.
He was offered an apprenticeship but after changing employers, he never had a chance to go back and study.
"I did that apprenticeship for about eight months and then I never got the opportunity to go back to TAFE because at my next job the head chef left and I just took over," he said.
Now at 28, Mr Kennedy has been on the tools for 12 years and despite his hands-on experience he felt like he was missing "that piece of paper".
"A lot of people think it's just a piece of paper and that was what I thought too, but it's the confidence that piece of paper brings with it," he said.
Mr Kennedy was given the opportunity to get his qualifications through a fast-tracked Trade Pathways Program for Existing Workers, which he completed in April this year.
"I was just a cook for a very long time and I needed to take that extra step to be recognised as a sous chef."
Now he works proudly with his title of sous chef at the Duke of Wellington in New Lambton and says it gives him a feeling of self-confidence.
"I'm a chef, I'm not just a line cook anymore. It may be just a piece of paper but it's given me that recognition. I've done this, I've completed this and I've got something behind me now," he said.
He said he was passionate about cooking and was always striving to serve up the best dishes for his customers.
"You put your heart and soul onto a plate in hopes that the person you are serving it to is just absolutely thrilled with what they're eating, and it makes you feel good inside to see them so happy with something you've just produced," he said.
Coinciding with this year's Adult Learners Week theme, It's Never Too Late, Mr Kennedy said his mindset changed after thinking it was too late to go back and study.
"I didn't think it was possible, but it's never too late. It's just been proven that it's not. I got my ticket, finally," he said.
He said now that he has his official qualification, he felt like he could take his cooking to the next level.
"I'd really like to go into maybe learning how to do some barbecue or a different cuisine. I've been doing bistros a lot but now that I've got my ticket I feel like I could confidently walk into a barbecue place as a chef and ask for a job," he said.
