START YOUR KITCHEN CAREER WITH A CHEF APPRENTICESHIP
Do you have a passion for food and a creative flair for cooking? If you would like to turn your interest into a rewarding career, then the new Commis Chef Apprenticeship programme is a great way to get started.
Run through the Education and Training Boards, the Commis Chef Apprenticeship is a national two-year programme which combines theory and skills learning in college with on-the-job training in an approved hotel or restaurant kitchen.
An apprenticeship is a great option if you feel you are better suited to practical training rather than full-time academic life or if you are eager to start earning as soon as you finish school. Open to budding chefs aged 16 or over, you must have your Leaving Cert or have passed a minimum of five subjects in the Junior Cert, or three years’ experience working in a professional kitchen to enter the programme. (See apprenticeship.ie for a detailed list of entry requirements.)
Following a three-week induction in a college or training centre, your time will then split between college and work in a hotel or restaurant kitchen. Subjects include culinary skills, classical cuisine, pastry techniques and nutrition, along with food safety, computer essentials, product development, business practice and much more.
When you have successfully completed the course, not only will you receive an Advanced Certificate in Culinary Arts (QQI Level 6) you will also have a wealth of hands-on experience in a professional kitchen, which will be a solid foundation for your career and will look great on your CV. If you decide to take your education further you can progress to the Chef de Partie Apprenticeship (QQI Level 7).
The lead industry partner for this apprenticeship is the Irish Hotels Federation. It is coordinated by Kerry Education and Training Board and is delivered in a range of locations in Carlow & Kilkenny ETB, Cavan & Monaghan ETB, City of Dublin ETB, Cork ETB, Galway & Roscommon ETB, Kerry ETB, and Limerick & Clare ETB.
For applications to any of the above locations contact training@kerryetbtrainingcentre.ie.