Full steam ahead for social and personal services

Today’s blog post introduces our remaining workshop managers and sector managers representing the social and personal services skill categories – from baking to hairdressing. The four workshop and sector managers Harald Herbst, Floarea Turcin, Brigitte Horn, and Martin Grogger express the creativity they use in their very different occupations.

In Sector Manager Harald Herbst we have among us a true expert in the restaurant trade. Now retired from his career as a chef, he can look back on more than 48 years of experience in the restaurant trade – at both national and international level – which took him to places as far away as South Africa, for example. “You could say I have completed a kind of ‘Tour d’Autriche’ of the restaurant trade”, says the passionate chef, who is keen to pass on his experience to future generations now that he is retired. “That’s mainly why I am so committed to EuroSkills 2020. Being a chef gives you the chance to gain some fantastic experiences, but the most important thing is that you enjoy your job”, says Herbst. Apart from EuroSkills, Harald Herbst is also a member of the “Cercle des Chefs” – an association for top Styrian chefs, which also stages a creative cooking competition for young Styrian chefs every two years. This competition is geared towards young kitchen talents and aims to continuously raise the standards of Styrian cuisine.

One of the two workshop managers in the hotel reception trade is Floarea Turcin. She has been working for EuroSkills 2020 since 2017, having heard about it through her husband. Her motivation? To gain as much new experience as possible: “EuroSkills 2020 appealed to me right from the start. I sent my application off and was fortunate enough to be accepted. I find it simply fascinating to watch over the young people during the competitions and to make sure that the competitors have everything they need”, says Floarea, who holds a degree in business economics. “I’m particularly looking forward to meeting new people and gaining experience – this is something very special, indeed.”

F.l.t.r above: Peter Rieberer (Cooking), Robert Lang (Cooking), Isabella Huber (Restaurant Service). F.l.t.r unten: Harald Herbst (Sector Manager), Floarea Turcin (Hotel Receptionist), Kurt Heinz Singer (Bakery), Brigitte Horn (Restaurant Service), Martin Grogger (Hairdressing).

Our workshop manager for the bakery skill, Kurt Singer, has many years of experience as a baker and confectioner. After being self-employed for many years as a confectioner and subsequently working as a vocational school teacher, Kurt now enjoys his “well-deserved retirement”, as he puts it. Yet vocational skills competitions have been inspiring him for many years: “As a Guild Master, I served on the jury for the national apprenticeship competitions in confectionery for many years, and it was always fascinating to see how young people work.” This is also one of the reasons why Kurt is contributing his extensive knowledge to EuroSkills 2020 as a workshop manager. “I have trained many apprentices myself and I think it is a pity if experienced people do not pass on their knowledge – that’s how it gets lost. That’s why I ended up becoming a vocational school teacher”, he says. When he heard that Styria will be hosting EuroSkills in 2020, he immediately felt inspired to play a part in the European vocational championships. Now, as a workshop manager, his job is to see that the competitors have everything they need in 2020.

Brigitte Horn is also passionate about passing on her knowledge at EuroSkills 2020. Brigitte is a teacher at the only vocational school for the restaurant trade in the Austrian Province of Vorarlberg, and has already built up extensive experience as a trainer. Since 2006 she has been training state champions and in 2016 she and Rudolf Wolfschluckner were the co-trainers behind European champion Christoph Schrottenbaum’s victory in the restaurant service skill in Gothenburg. “I have a keen sense of aesthetics and I love passing on my knowledge to the young people. I enjoy my work and have been involved in many competitions as a trainer. At EuroSkills 2020 in Graz, I will be working as a workshop manager and also as a sector manager. I am happy to contribute to a successful event by sharing my knowledge and flexibility.”