At this year’s “Junior Skills” competition at WIFI Carinthia, 81 apprentices in the areas of cooking, restaurant service and hotel reception competed for the title of “State Champion”. Over three days, they demonstrated their skills in front of a competent jury by preparing exquisite dishes, serving guests professionally and pampering them with excellent service.

The award ceremony in the Casineum Velden produced the winners: Anna Lea Hausberger from Tyrol won in the kitchen category, Verena Pöttler from Styria in reception and Emily Langegger from Salzburg in service. Salzburg also secured the title as the best federal state, followed by Styria and Vorarlberg.

The representatives of the hotel and catering industry associations in the Austrian Chamber of Commerce congratulated the winners and praised the high level of the competition and the quality of the participants as ambassadors for Austrian hospitality.

State Secretary Susanne Kraus-Winkler emphasized the importance of junior skills for promoting young tourism talent and ensuring qualified specialists in the industry.

Federal training expert Gerold Royda praised the commitment of the teams and supporters involved, including parents, training companies, trainers and other partners such as the Austrian Culinary Association and main sponsor Metro.

The event highlights the invaluable value of in-company training in the hospitality industry, which provides apprentices with a solid foundation to learn their profession from the ground up. The enthusiastic atmosphere at the award ceremony clearly shows that the young talents in the hospitality industry are fully in their element and can pass on positive experiences to underline the importance of apprenticeships in the catering and hotel industry.