The new Apprenticeship is for learners at businesses that produce high-quality food in large volumes.
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Working collaboratively with Hospitality businesses in Cornwall, Truro and Penwith College has helped to design a course that gives opportunities to those looking to master skills within a professional kitchen.
The course will help support the careers of those with a passion to work with the best employers and ingredients that Cornwall has to offer in less formal environments than a fine dining establishment for example.
Supporting real careers, the Pro Chef Level 2 qualification is a newly re-designed Apprenticeship that will be delivered by the College in collaboration with St Austell Brewery, Hub Box, Rick Stein’s Restaurant Group and The Lost Gardens of Heligan. The Apprenticeship (together with the traditional Commis Chef Apprenticeship route) will allow these companies to offer two routes into their kitchens where both fine dining and producing high volumes could be part of their business models. Giving business and students more choice in training and their career.
The intention of the Apprenticeship is to help learners thrive in Cornish hospitality businesses that produce quality food in high volumes. Which could involve such things as street food businesses and the modern burger joint, to the perfect Cornish pub.
Tony Duce, Hospitality Coordinator at Truro and Penwith College, said: “The Hospitality team at the College is very proud to have been working with such an inspiring group of employers. As with all our courses and Apprenticeships, we value the collaborative way in which we work with the best local Cornish businesses to make sure what we offer is current and fit for purpose and reflective of the employers’ values.
“With great local produce, seasonality and sustainability, working with the best local suppliers and the wellbeing of their teams are at the heart of what they do”.
Following this industry-led re-design, Truro and Penwith College now offer training and support across all pathways into hospitality within its collection of courses, with this Apprenticeship now meeting industry demands.
School leavers, anyone wanting to re-train or come back to the industry can now embark on a journey from Level 1 Professional Cookery all the way through to the Level 4 Hospitality Management Apprenticeship/HNC and the College’s new Future Chef Managers Course, with the help and contributions of industry specialists and Cornish businesses.
A delighted Luke Taylor, Head of Food at Hub Box, a contributor to the development of the Pro Chef course added: “We are overjoyed to be part of this project with Truro and Penwith College, St Austell Brewery, The Stein’s Group and The Lost Gardens of Heligan.
“This is what the industry needs, courses that are written to suit business and learner needs. Not off-the-shelf courses that sometimes aren’t suitable for many quality establishments here in Cornwall. It’s good to see a college with this attitude to learning and development – speaking to the experts and reacting accordingly.”
Those who are interested in the Apprenticeship can contact Truro and Penwith College’s Hospitality Business Partnership Consultant Mark Lewin at marklewin@truro-penwith.ac.uk, with learners encouraged to complete a College application form to receive help and advice. The businesses involved in designing the programme are also expected to release Pro Chef Apprenticeship opportunities on their career pages soon.
