A 17-year-old who bagged herself an apprenticeship at one of the north-east’s most prestigious hotels is encouraging others to sign up to a new chef apprenticeship scheme.
Chloe Craik from Echt, Aberdeenshire left Westhill Academy in March 2020 to get her first job in hospitality. A year and a half later she is now stepping into the three AA Rosette kitchen of Douneside House in Tarland as an apprentice chef.
Her learning will take place over a two year period and Chloe hopes by the end she will be able to secure a place in the kitchen. She dreams of being a head chef one day.
With the industry faced with a challenging recruitment drive, Hospitality Apprenticeship North East, which has been delivering training programmes to young adults in Aberdeen city and shire since 2020, has launched a dedicated professional cookery apprenticeship open to 16 to 25-year-olds.
What is the chef apprenticeship?
The Hospitality Apprenticeship North East Chef programme is supported by Opportunity North East and Skills Development Scotland, as well as NEScol, which will provide masterclass elements of the apprenticeship and work-based assessors.
Those who complete the training will receive a City and Guilds level five qualification in professional cookery, with the opportunity to extend the apprenticeship to level six. It will start in autumn and apprentices will be paid the national minimum wage for their age.
Apprentices will participate in trips to Peterhead Fish Market and butchery, and will learn how to make stocks and sauces plus master pastry masterclasses.
While Chloe has signed up to take part in a different apprenticeship with Douneside House directly, she says the new programme is an excellent opportunity for those looking to break into the industry.
She said: “I love cooking and learning and I’m very passionate and motivated about it. You’ve got to give it a chance and learn a lot more on the job.
“Food is life now. Everywhere you go people are taking pictures of their food and it is a great feeling seeing people having a good time in restaurants.
“Everyone needs to eat and we need people back in hospitality. There’s lots of new venues opening, too, and they will need people.”
Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire businesses participating in the professional cookery apprenticeship include:
- Jurys Inn
- McGinty’s Group
- The Park Inn
- The Chester Hotel
- The Fife Arms in Braemar
- Thainstone House by Inverurie
- Meldrum House at Oldmeldrum
- Banchory Lodge
- Douneside House by Tarland
- Maryculter House
The scheme is open to 16 to 25-year-olds already working in the sector as well as those new to the hospitality industry, and some participating hotels have live-in accommodation for suitable applicants.
Chairman of Hospitality Apprenticeship North East, Stephen Gow is looking forward to seeing new talent pave a way for themselves in the industry.
He added: “Very hands-on training on the job, mixed with the theory learned from the NEScol masterclass sessions are the perfect combination to equip young people with the right skills for their future career and for the future of hospitality.
“All of the hospitality partners involved understand how crucial it is to attract new, young talent to the industry and especially to the kitchen.
“Recruitment and retention challenges are a major concern for everyone in the sector at the moment, but the Hospitality Apprenticeship North East partners are determined to be proactive and to find, train and support the best in young talent.”
Starter sets of knives for the apprentices are being provided to each participant thanks to sponsorship from Alliance and each will be provided with a uniform sponsored by Fishers.
For more about the apprenticeship or how to apply visit hospitalityapprentice.com/chef-course.
Applicants must be under 25 at the time of starting the apprenticeship.
Conversation