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February 16, 2007
Celebrity chef and Minister launch new food venture at Alcoa Point Henry
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Celebrity chef and star of Jamie Oliver’s hit TV cooking show Tobie Puttock along with Minister for Community Services Senator Nigel Scullion have launched a significant milestone in the Alcoa - Karingal partnership.
Tobie Puttock and Senator Scullion have launched the new Kommercial Café at Alcoa Point Henry.
Karingal is taking on the brand new venture - through Kommercial - its enterprise that provides supported employment for people with disabilities.
“Karingal, and in particular Kommercial, has had a long and successful relationship with Alcoa. Alcoa has always been very supportive of Karingal and we look forward to another successful and mutually beneficial project,” Karingal CEO Daryl Starkey said.
“We are continually looking for new and innovative ways to improve the lives of people with disabilities. At the Kommercial Café most of the employees are people with a disability which is another indication that we are leading the way.”
Alcoa’s Victorian Operations Engineering Manager Warren Sharp said Alcoa and Karingal established the partnership in 1993 to promote workplace diversity at the Point Henry site.
“Diversity in the workplace makes employees working lives more interesting and rewarding and I’m pleased to say through the partnership Alcoa was one of the first industrial sites in Australia to employ people with a disability,” Mr Sharp said.
“I’m looking forward to welcoming our newest employees as not only is their high level of competence commendable but their enthusiasm and positive attitudes are inspiring for other Alcoa employees.”
The Kommercial Café, which is partially funded by the Federal Government, is the first of its kind, offering hospitality supported employment to people with disabilities inside an industrial site such as Alcoa.
Puttock, who starred with Jamie Oliver in the successful television program Jamie’s Kitchen Australia was keen to get involved when he saw the parallels with his own restaurant, Fifteen.
”It’s great to see people with disabilities working in a kitchen and sharing a love of food. Everyone should have this kind of opportunity available to them and I really look forward to seeing what they have achieved,” Tobie said.
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