Shae White wins Best of Nation Award at WorldSkills
At the tender age of eight Shae White told her parents she was going to be a chef. Now, 11 years later the former Combermere student is living that reality.
“Being a chef was the only thing I ever wanted to do. I don’t really know what it was exactly that drew me to cooking, but I like to eat so I guess that played into my career choice.
“I told my parents when I was eight years old that I want to become a chef, and that’s where it all started. I spent all of my free time watching food network and helping out in the kitchen. In school, I gravitated towards food and nutrition, did culinary arts at BCCHI [Barbados Community College Hospitality Institute], and the rest is history,” she told Barbados TODAY.
In May 2018, Shae entered the WorldSkills competition, and she successfully beat out a team of 37 other finalists competing in eight skilled areas to not only win in the category of Cooking but to be named the overall winner. The Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Council manages the local process of delegates attending the WorldSkills competition.
In August, Shae and a Bajan contingent jetted off to Kazan to showcase the best in Barbados talent and skills at the 45th annual competition. Shae won the Best of Nation Award in Cooking. The experience, she said, was priceless and like none other.
“It was fantastic. To be able to do what you love for your country is a surreal experience. WorldSkills was honestly an eye opening experience for me. I met a lot of people in the field and learnt a lot about not only cooking, but about myself as a person. Kazan was also very cold, so we did have to acclimatize to the temperature.”
The world class competition attracted 1, 354 young professionals from 63 countries. The level of competition and preparation carried out by others in other territories was on a totally different level to what Shae was exposed to here in Barbados. However, the talented teen improvised and used what knowledge and skills she had and made the best use of them.
“Upon meeting the other competitors, I realised that Barbados is not ready for a competition of this calibre due to the fact that not enough emphasis is placed on skills training.”
That did not deter the young chef who works at Sandy Lane Hotel, from picking up a lesson or two along the way. “I learnt that there’s no shame in not knowing. I went into the competition with very little training and exposure and it was very nerve wracking. But I realized that I just had to do my best with the knowledge that I had.”
Shae, who holds an Associate Degree in Culinary Arts, said she tried to prepare herself as best she could. “I didn’t really have a lot of preparation for this competition, mental or otherwise. I spoke to my coach and some of my chefs from work and just tried to take in as much as possible.”
The chef who says ‘simplicity’ is her key to success, admits that she loves to combine the simplest of ingredients to produce a flavourful dish. She credits participating in the competition as being her biggest success to date. She also thanked the TVET Council for providing such a forum in which she could have participated.
“I can honestly say that seeing this competition through to the end is my major accomplishment. There were many days where I was extremely tired and stressed and ready to give up. But I had a strong support system that kept me grounded.”
The teenager who loves to write and sing said her biggest challenge when she started working was getting used to the rigorous schedule in terms of working late nights and having to be back early the next morning. But not even that was enough to deter her.
“I’ve actually never thought about another career. I might’ve gone into the medical field as I’ve always found biology fascinating, but I’ve never given it much thought…”
For those who want to become a chef or to participate in WorldSkills, Shae’s advice is just do it.
“If you love it, half the work is already done. This is a very demanding field of work, so you genuinely have to enjoy doing it. In addition, don’t let anyone dissuade you from pursuing it. It’s about what you want to do.”
When asked about her future plans, Shae who says her family and friends matter most, was uncertain. “The future for me is a sea of unknowns. I can’t say that ten years from now I will still be a chef, but I also can’t say that I won’t be. Whatever future endeavours I decide to pursue I just want to give my all and do my very best.” (IMC)
