Hepburn students cook up skills and confidence
The Cook, the Chef and Us was a hospitality program run by the Hepburn Local Drug Action Team (LDAT) in regional Victoria, giving secondary students who learn best hands-on a new way to build skills, confidence and wellbeing.
The program was delivered through Hepburn Health, with funding from the Alcohol and Drug Foundation’s LDAT program. It used the hospitality industry as a different kind of classroom, helping young people stay connected to learning and see the many options open to them.
Why the Hepburn LDAT chose hospitality
Staying connected to education and work helps protect young people from alcohol and other drug harm. The Hepburn LDAT wanted to reach students before they lost interest in school, teach them practical skills, build their confidence and show them the future job options open to them.
It partnered with Hepburn Shire Council, Highlands Local Learning and Employment Network, School Focused Youth Services and Spade to Blade Catering to deliver the program.
How The Cook, the Chef and Us worked
Sixteen Year 9 and 10 students from Daylesford Secondary College took part, spending one day a week for 19 weeks learning about hospitality from local businesses and employers.
They learnt a wide range of skills, including cooking, making coffee and serving food. Learning outside the classroom gave them a break from school routines and a chance to build life skills in something hands-on they could be passionate about. Participants also earned certificates to help them get work in hospitality.
What the program achieved
Parents said their teenagers came home with a completely changed attitude to learning and school, more confidence and a smile on their face. One student even asked his parents to reschedule the family holiday so he wouldn’t miss a session, and they did.
The program showed students that “book smart” isn’t the only way to be intelligent, and that there are many paths to work they love. The post-program evaluation found that many participants now had their sights set on a career in hospitality.
Watch the video to hear participants talk about their experience of the program.
For more ideas on working with young people, see the supporting teenagers toolkit.
Last reviewed: 3 November 2026