As so many people are going to university, often without a clear career plan in place, it can often seem like the only option for young people after their compulsory education – but this is not the case. For many young people, an academic pathway is not for them, and vocational work is better suited. Apprenticeships are a great balance as they are way for young people to get stuck into work and learn as they do so.
In the culinary industry, there are a number of apprenticeships available, and often high-profile chefs will be hosting apprenticeship programmes which creates wonderful opportunities for those who are selected. You can read about the experience of Daryl who got selected for Jamie Oliver’s apprenticeship programme here.
Whichever programme they are on, apprentices will be paid to train in their field of work for the duration of their course and very often their programmes can lead to a full-time position after they have qualified. Courses like this give young people the chance to observe other chefs in action and get a real taster of life working in a kitchen. They also allow them to work their way up in the industry and gain a lot of experience early on in their career.
As well as receiving excellent work experience, apprentices train to receive NVQ qualifications as part of their course which means they can studying and working at the same time. By the time they are 22, someone who trained up as an apprentice could be working as a full-time sous-chef at an established restaurant with several years of experience, whereas someone who went to university may have only just graduated with no experience of industrial work.
If you run a restaurant, why don’t you consider hiring an apprentice? It’s a cost-effective way to get an extra pair of hands in the kitchen and a great opportunity to train up staff for the long-term. There are plenty of resources online to help you put together a suitable programme too.
If you’re someone looking for a chef apprenticeship, why don’t you take a look at some of our other articles to read some advice about preparing for a chef role:
