After the juniorSkills

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Winners: Elias Lukatsch, Hannah Schnitzer, Laurenz Egger, Pascal Plankl, Eva Nagelschmied, Dennis Sodamin have already achieved great things at the juniorSkills as apprentices.(Bild: Christina Natascha Kogler)

"If the guests are happy, I'm happy," says gilded service apprentice Eva Nagelschmied, who has now been honored together with other apprentices from tourism professions.

"I like to be creative and I have a penchant for perfectionism," explains Elias Lukatsch. The apprentice needs these two qualities in the kitchen at the Mountain Resort Feuerberg and in competitions such as juniorSkills. The 17-year-old cooked his way to bronze at these national tourism championships.

"Already a success story"
He and five other apprentices with podium finishes at juniorSkills have now been honored. "We are fighting for good, motivated people in tourism, and you are good and motivated, you are exactly who we want. You are already a success story," emphasized Sebastian Schuschnig, State Councillor for Tourism, who was able to present certificates of honour from the Chamber of Commerce together with the heads of the specialist groups Stefan Sternad and Sigismund Moerisch as well as Franz Huditz, head of training at the Chamber of Commerce.

Award for juniorSkills participant Elias Lukatsch by Huditz, Schuschnig, Sternad, Moerisch.(Bild: WKK/Peter Just)

Dennis Sodamin, in his 3rd year of apprenticeship in the kitchen at the Goldbrunnhof training location in Carinthia, also received bronze at juniorSkills: "I like it in tourism: you get to know lots of people, you can travel and you work in a close-knit team. Sometimes your hat is on fire from all the stress, and when everything is done, you go out to celebrate with your colleagues."

It's difficult at the beginning, but then... And there is no better profession than gastronomy!

Erwin Schurtl, Lehrlingsausbildner

Laurenz Egger, who is learning to cook at Messnerei Sternberg, came back from the competition with a silver medal. After the army, where he was not at all interested in cooking, he was drawn to Denmark and Sweden.

The silver-plated Pascal Plankl does an apprenticeship as a hotel manager at the Parkhotel Pörtschach: "It's a young profession."

"It's challenging, but it makes you happy!"
Eva Nagelschmied, who won gold with her service skills and 3rd place in Austria, is also training at the Parkhotel am Wörthersee! "This competition experience is a great asset!" says Nagelschmied. She hasn't heard any negative talk about working in tourism from those around her: "Family and friends supported me. And when people say: In tourism, you always work weekends and evenings: In many professions, you don't always have Saturday and Sunday off, in healthcare professions for example." And even though the work is often challenging, Eva Nagelschmied feels: "When the guests are happy, I'm happy."

LR Sebastian Schuschnig, innkeeper spokesman Stefan Sternad, Franz Huditz, training officer in the Tourism and Leisure Industry division and Sigismund E. Moerisch with the honorees Dennis Sodamin, Elias Lukatsch, Laurenz Egger, Eva Nagelschmied, Hannah Lisette Schnitzer and Pascal Plankl.(Bild: WKK/Peter Just)

Also in service is Hannah Schnitzer, who is learning at the Karnerhof and is also a gold medal winner. "I'm doing my A-levels next year. It's all a bit exhausting, but it'll be fine. And after that, I'll see where it takes me."

Rebecca Senger, restaurant service, training company: Falkensteiner Schlosshotel Velden, silver medal; Selina Mattersberger, hotel reception, training company: Falkensteiner Hotel & SPA Carinzia, silver medal; Carina Weratschnig, hotel reception, training company: Werzer's Hotel Resort Pörtschach, gold medal, were unable to attend the reception for the best young tourism professionals.