With a love for cooking, Jackie Lettice could not be happier working as an apprentice chef at the Jolly Swagman Restaurant in Goondiwindi.

Not only is she embarking on a career path she loves, but she is receiving a little help to overcome hurdles that would otherwise make advancement difficult.

"I'm loving it," said Jackie recently. "I love cooking food for people and serving them – their comments always make you feel good. "
Jackie, who had previously worked at a bakery, acquired the job at one of Goondiwindi 's favourite tourist destinations through Goondiwindi Training and Technology (GTP) being interviewed at 11 o'clock and then hired at 3 o'clock the same day.

She is now working and studying at TAFE through Busy at Work's apprenticeship services and being mentored by Indigenous Workstars.

As part of her training Jackie either needed to attend classes at Oakey TAFE or study online, however she owned neither a car nor a computer.

Maree Petty from Indigenous Workstars stepped in, and through acquiring Government funding, purchased Jackie a computer.

"The laptop will help take out the stress," said Jackie. "I can do recipes and cleaning schedules for my certificate which will help me heaps."