Beyond the podium: From a family skill to a skills family

Fiona Currie’s passion for hospitality was sparked at an early age. Her father, Ray Cullen, has been Skills Competition Manager for Restaurant Service for nearly two decades. This early exposure to excellence in hospitality combined with her own dedication led to Fiona’s career working at restaurants and hotels across Europe.

She says, “I remember the moment when I knew I wanted to go into hospitality. I was watching my dad at a party when I was about 11. He ran the show that night, hosting the dinner and managing the chefs. He looked so proud that he had created it all. That’s when I thought, ‘I want to do that too’.”

Admiration soon turned into ambition with Fiona training hard during her studies in Restaurant Service and Management. She studied by day and trained by night to compete in the national competitions. Eventually, her dedication earned her a place on Team WorldSkills Ireland and a chance to represent her country at WorldSkills Leipzig 2013.

None of her training prepared Fiona for the scale of a WorldSkills Competition. She recalls, “It was overwhelming in the best possible way. I was 21 and I hadn’t had a lot of experience with the world in general. And there I was standing in an arena, meeting people from all over the world, and learning new cultures. It hits you like a wave.”

Fiona won a Medallion for Excellence at the Competition, returning home to celebration and recognition. She met the Irish President and was on the national news. She says, “I quickly realized: I did that. I trained, I competed, I represented my country. That pride never goes away.”

But she also took home something else. WorldSkills had planted the seeds of new skills, new friendships, and the appetite for adventure that would take her life in directions she could never have imagined.

Those adventures began with an invitation to attend the WorldSkills Youth Forum in Niagara Falls in 2016. The experience broadened her view of the world, and her place in it. She says, “I met more people and made more friends. My WorldSkills family expanded! But I also learned so much and my confidence was boosted.”

Soon after, she packed a suitcase and travelled through Europe, visiting the friends she had made in Canada. This decision led her to Switzerland where she has built a career working in high-end hotels, private catering, and high-altitude hospitality.

These new experiences have kept her skills sharp and she never stopped learning. From experiencing what it is like to prepare and serve cocktails in gloves at -20°C, to cooking breakfast for a family of 15, Fiona believes her WorldSkills training helped her adapt to new situations and challenges. She says, “You take the skills you have and then you build a whole new set of skills on top.”

Today, Fiona is working in hotels in Basel and helping train the next generation of new hospitality professionals. She explains, “I’m a firm believer that anyone can put a plate on a table but not everyone can put a plate on a table and give the customer the best possible experience. Of course, you need have to the best skills. You also need to have the personality, and to sense what people want and what they expect.”

Twelve years after WorldSkills Leipzig 2013, Fiona remains connected to her WorldSkills family. She has volunteered at WorldSkills Competitions, mentored Competitors, and she continues to keep in touch with the friends made across the world.

Looking back, Fiona is quick to acknowledge the role that WorldSkills has played in shaping her career. She reflects, “I am where I’m at because of WorldSkills. If I hadn’t ever competed, I imagine I would still have a decent job because I’m good at what I do. But I wouldn’t have experienced life. I’ve done so much, and I’ve had the opportunity to live in amazing places.”

She concludes, “Being part of WorldSkills changes your way of thinking and completely changes your path in life. You may start out representing your country, but you end up representing something much bigger.”

Learn more about WorldSkills, the global stage for skills, and find out about Restaurant Service as a skill.