Cooking up a career

Michael Bines shows that it’s never too late to get qualified for a new career.

Michael, aged 44, studies Professional Cookery at HCC’s London City Hospitality Centre and is en route to becoming a qualified chef after shedding a past life of gangs and petty crime.

Wanting to turn his life around, he joined Hackney Community College where he successfully completed levels 1 and 2 in Food Preparation and Cooking in impressive time. He is now on the final stage of his course and is well on track to achieving his qualified chef status.

We're confident he'll achieve his dream of setting up his own Caribbean restaurant.

Michael said: “This is the first time I have achieved something. I am now on my way to being a qualified chef and I must thank Hackney Community College and most of all, my tutor Christopher Skippers for giving me the chance to prove myself.”

His inspirational story has deservedly been put forward for an Outstanding Learner award, where the winners will be announced during Adult Learners Week in May.

Good luck Michael!