Luci Vitug is standing over a large pot, preparing lunch for 170 employees in our staff restaurant at CS WIND Offshore in Aalborg. He laughs often, and his positive energy spreads throughout the kitchen.
Three years ago, Luci joined Compass Group in our cleaning division. Later, he was given the opportunity to test his skills in one of our staff restaurants, and when we encouraged him to continue his education, he seized the opportunity and enrolled at Techcollege Aalborg.
It quickly became clear just how talented he was. This summer, Luci completed his catering apprenticeship with a bronze medal and received four special awards:
- The Danish Chefs’ Association Award for the Most Creative Dish
- AB Catering’s Award for Outstanding Interest in Desserts
- HORESTA’s Master Knife Award for Exceptional Dedication Throughout His Education
- Techcollege Aalborg’s Award for an Extraordinary Performance in His Final Apprenticeship Exam
To make the achievement even more remarkable, Luci also earned the highest possible grade in all three of his final exams. This was especially significant because he struggled with exam anxiety and worked with an exam coach to help him through the process.
“I thought, ‘If I just pass, I’ll complete my education.’ So getting the highest grade in all three exams is absolutely incredible,” says Luci.
His manager, Head Chef Mariann Nygaard Poulsen, is clearly proud:
“Luci is incredibly talented and well-liked by both our colleagues and our customers. He always has a smile on his face.”
Luci is an inspiring example of what can happen when talent is given the opportunity to grow. At Compass Group, we believe in giving people the chance to develop their skills and gain formal qualifications that recognise what they can do.
TV2 Nord recently visited our staff restaurant to meet Luci. Watch the feature and read the full story here.