Max Bennett
Max’s learning journey has taken him from lacking in confidence and struggling at school to winning a silver medal at WorldSkills 2013, working at Cadbury House Marco Pierre White Restaurant and being on the way to realising his schoolboy dream of owning his own eatery.
While Max’s dyslexia meant that school work was a challenge that he didn’t particularly enjoy, he felt that his natural people skills and interest in catering and hospitality might provide the answer. He found his vocation when he began his work-based apprenticeship at Cadbury House Marco Pierre White Restaurant.
Such was his confidence and professionalism that the team put him forward for WorldSkills 2013, where he competed in the Professional Restaurant Services event. He progressed from the regional heat to the national final in Birmingham, where his high scores earned him a silver medal and a place on the shortlist to compete in the international competition in Rio de Janeiro next year.
Max was also awarded Weston College Apprentice of the Year 2013. He has grown enormously in confidence and now wants to help other young people into the industry. He says, “The learning journey I have been on has been a huge surprise; I am aware of how much I have learned and how it has benefited me, but also the learning process has been fun. This hands-on method of learning has been great for me. Working my way up and around the restaurant in a steady way, gaining qualifications and positive recognition as I go is going to help me achieve my goal.”