Teenager with dwarfism was told he was a 'safety risk' for a catering course. Gordon Ramsay offered him a job

When an 18-year-old Worcester resident, Louis Makepeace, started his culinary course at the Heart of Worcestershire College, he expected it to be the first step toward his dream of having his own restaurant one day. However, that dream faded away after the college turned the 3-foot-10 aspiring chef with achondroplasia dwarfism down, citing him as a "safety hazard." But what the college saw as a barrier, celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay saw as untapped potential, making Makepeace a genuine offer, as reported by the Sun on 28 August 2018. 

A dream denied by the college

The ordeal began after Makepeace secured himself a conditional place on a hospitality course offered by the Heart of Worcestershire College. Naturally, the youngster was quite excited to be finally able to pursue his dream. However, administrative resistance quickly surfaced after the college officials blocked his admission. They insisted that the 3-foot-10 Makepeace would be a severe logistics and safety concern. Rather than adapting the workspace, the staff told him he would be a "health and safety risk" to other students and argued he would cause "disruption."

Trying to make things work

Refusing to let the rejection stand without a fight, Makepeace and his mother, Pauline, attempted to find some common ground with the college. The pair proposed using steps, lowering worktops, or even completing practical tasks at home while renovations take place. But the officials refused to budge. On the contrary, they went as far as telling Pauline that it was "pointless doing the course" because her son would "never be allowed to work in a restaurant kitchen anyway." She argued that it was just a tactic to scare them off, because the college didn't want to wait. 

Gordon Ramsay comes calling

Being systematically shut out of formal training, Makepeace was devastated. "It was really upsetting as I had my heart set on this course," he said. The man further explained that this refusal made him feel excluded from the real world. It was at this point that Makepeace's story began gaining nationwide attention, with people talking about it on the internet, and it caught the eye of Gordon Ramsay. Appalled by the college's rigid stance, he publicly backed Makepeace. "Disgusting attitude, I’d offer him an Apprenticeship any day," he wrote. 

Accommodations cost almost nothing

That being said, what makes the college's behavior even more terrible is the fact that most accommodations cost nothing. According to a NIB study, a staggering 49.4% of workplaces and other institutions reported zero cost for accommodations for their employees or students. Meanwhile, another 43.3% that the accommodations involved just a one-time cost. Only 7.2% of employers reported ongoing costs for accommodations. At the same time, the one-time median cost was just $300, while the annual median cost turned out to be only $3,750. 

Beyond the classroom

Nonetheless, as fate would have it, Makepeace, following Ramsay's offer, chose to walk away from traditional schooling. Although the college claimed that they did offer him a spot, he refused it because he didn't feel welcome there. But instead of letting that rejection derail his dream, he turned the public spotlight to his advantage. Makepeace secured a training place at London's Michelin-star restaurant Pied a Terre. He later brought his culinary passion to television by taking part in BBC Three's 'Hungry For It' and continues to pursue his dream. 

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