School Holiday Career Taster: Try Before You Commit in Melbourne

Published: July 14, 2026  |  Clinton Institute (RTO 41597, CRICOS Provider: 03540C)

Not sure what career to pursue after school? These school holidays, Clinton Institute is opening its training doors to students in Years 9, 10, 11, and 12 who want to get hands-on with real industry skills before they make decisions that will shape their futures. You can spend half a day in a commercial training kitchen or a simulated aged care environment — and walk away knowing what the work actually feels like, not just what it looks like on a course brochure.

Why a Taster Session Beats Months of Research

Career decision-making for school students often relies on advice from people who have not done the jobs being discussed — parents, teachers, career advisors. That advice is well-meaning but it is not the same as experiencing the work yourself. Clinton Institute's school holiday taster program exists specifically to give you that direct experience before you commit to months of study.

Aged care and cookery are both industries where the emotional rewards of the work are most visible when you are in the middle of it — not when you are reading about it. In a taster session, you will be doing the work. You will know within the first hour whether it feels right.

Aged Care Taster — What You Will Do

The aged care taster session runs in Clinton Institute's simulated care environment, where you will work through the same foundational activities that Certificate III in Individual Support students learn in their first weeks. This includes:

• Assisting a simulated client with morning routine activities — dressing, mobility support, personal care
• Practicing manual handling techniques that protect both the worker and the client
• Understanding why infection control procedures matter in a real care setting
• Experiencing the communication techniques that aged care workers use with clients who have dementia or hearing impairment

You will also hear from Laiju Thomas, Clinton Institute's Head of Aged Care and Community Services training, about what a typical day looks like for a qualified aged care worker in Melbourne — and what career progression actually looks like from entry-level to team leader.

Expert insight — Laiju Thomas, Head Trainer, Aged Care and Community Services:
"The students who get the most out of taster sessions are the ones who come with questions — not just about what the course involves, but about whether they are the kind of person who will thrive in this work. That self-awareness is exactly what we try to help them develop."

Cookery Taster — What You Will Do

The cookery taster session runs in Clinton Institute's Community Training Kitchen on La Trobe Street, where you will work alongside Sanjeev Kumar's cookery team. You will be cooking from the first ten minutes — not watching a demonstration and then copying it. By the end of the session, you will have produced a dish you made yourself.

Activities include:

• Knife skills basics — the foundation of everything in a commercial kitchen
• Cooking a dish from start to finish on commercial-grade equipment
• Learning what mise en place means and why it matters in a real kitchen environment
• Understanding the difference between cooking at home and cooking for sixty covers on a Friday night

Expert insight — Sanjeev Kumar, Head of Cookery and Hospitality, Clinton Institute:
"The biggest surprise for most school students in our taster sessions is how fast-paced a real kitchen is. They come expecting it to be like cooking at home and leave understanding why the people who work in this industry love it."

How Long Is the Taster Session?

Each taster session runs for three hours — either a morning session (9am–12pm) or an afternoon session (1pm–4pm). You choose one stream: aged care or cookery, not both in the same session. If you want to experience both, you can book for two separate days during the holidays.

Sessions run during Victorian and Australian Capital Territory school holidays throughout the year. Upcoming session dates are published on the Clinton Institute website.

Who Can Attend?

Taster sessions are open to students in Years 9 through 12 across Victoria. Parents are welcome to attend — many find the session as informative as their children do. No prior experience in either aged care or cookery is required. You do not need to be an existing Clinton Institute student.

There is no charge for the taster session. Places are limited to twelve students per session to ensure a quality hands-on experience for every participant.

What to Bring

For the aged care taster: comfortable, closed-toe shoes (no sandals or thongs), hair tied back, and a notebook for taking notes during the debrief session.

For the cookery taster: the same closed-toe shoe requirement, an apron if you have one (Clinton Institute provides aprons if you do not), and a willingness to get flour on your clothes — it is inevitable.

Book Your Taster Session

To reserve your place, contact Clinton Institute directly. Sessions book out quickly during school holidays — early registration is recommended.

Phone: +61 3 8394 2064 | Email: admission@clinton.edu.au | Register: www.clinton.edu.au | Address: Level 9, 313 La Trobe Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

Published: {{YYYY-MM-DD}}  |  Clinton Institute