Hospitality & Catering

Hospitality Apprenticeships

As a Hospitality / catering apprentice, you’ll learn your trade within a work setting and additional lessons within one of our 7 industry kitchens based at the Devonshire Dome, Buxton.

Our tutors will ensure that you are taught everything you need to get ahead. We have great links to industry and our tutors have some serious cookery skills built up over many years. These programmes lead on to multiple career paths as well as higher education at University if you wish.

You can take a virtual tour of our campuses and facilities here.

Available courses

Level 2 Commis Chef Apprenticeship

Tell me about the Programme
An apprenticeship is a practical, work-related course, designed to allow you to learn whilst you earn. This programme is suitable for school leavers and mature students who have a keen interest in cookery, an attention to detail, and wish to pursue a career through on-the-job training.

The Level 2 Commis Chef Apprenticeship is designed to provide you with the skills and understanding to work as part of a team of chefs in order to produce top quality food. Following completion of this apprenticeship, you could look forward to a career as a Commis Chef in a variety of organisations, including restaurants, hotels, care homes/hospitals, military establishments and cruise ships.

You will gain the knowledge required to be a competent Commis Chef and your training will focus on the following practical skills:#
1. Contributing to reviewing and refreshing menus in line with business and customer requirements.
2. Using technology for the development and production of dishes in line with business procedures and guidelines to achieve the best result.
3. Checking food stocks, reporting on shortages, prioritising food that is close to expiry and keeping the storage areas in good order.
4. Prioritise tasks, ensuring food items meet the required quality standard, in the required time frame.
5. Measuring dish ingredients and portion sizes accurately.
6. Using a range of craft preparation, and basic cooking skills and techniques, to prepare, cook and finish menu items, in line with business requirements.
7. Using correct knives and knife skills when preparing food, and use the correct equipment when preparing, cooking and finishing food.
8. Correctly store and use food items and commodities when preparing, cooking and finishing dishes to deliver a quality product that is safe for the consumer.
9. Applying correct preparation and selection methods when using fresh produce in dishes.
You will explore a wide range of cooking methods and your role will be to support the kitchen by preparing, cooking and finishing food items. In addition, you will develop a full range of professional behavioural skills, including the abilities to make decisions, take responsibility for your work, and communicate effectively with your colleagues, front of house staff, suppliers and customers. You should be prepared to work unsociable hours, including early mornings, late evenings, weekends and holidays.

You will learn in a real-world environment and be assigned an instructor-mentor who will provide all the guidance and support you need to succeed. You will also have the support of workplace mentors who will provide you with a wealth of company knowledge and experience.

In addition, you will take part in regular sessions in college where you will learn in one of our five kitchens and will meet up with other apprentices to share your personal experiences and reflect on your learning journey. You will also have the opportunity to take part in enrichment activities, such as, the opportunity to show off your skills in competitions and events, and the chance to gain additional qualifications in Food Hygiene and Allergy Awareness.
What qualifications will I get?

Level 2 Commis Chef
What can I go onto next?
You could progress on to;
- Employment as a Commis Chef in a variety of organisations,
- or further related CPD training, such as, Level 2 Award in Food Safety or Certificate in Allergy Awareness.
How will I be assessed?

End-point assessment (EPA) is the final stage of an apprenticeship. This is an impartial assessment, carried out by an independent body, and will assess your development of the skills, knowledge and behaviours outlined in the apprenticeship standard. It will consist of an online test, a culinary challenge, workplace observation and professional discussion.
Entry Requirements

You should have a minimum of GCSE Grade 4/C in maths and English, or Level 2 Functional Skills. Please speak to us if you have not achieved these as you may be able study Level 2 Functional Skills alongside your apprenticeship in order to satisfy this requirement.

You must have the right to work in the UK and have been residing in the UK for the prior 3 years.

Apprenticeship FAQ's

Level 2 Production Chef Apprenticeship

Tell me about the programme
Learning criteria is set out in the knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSB’s) of the standard, these are learned throughout the apprenticeship both in the workplace, in the college training kitchens and within the college training bistro.

Production chefs work as part of a team in time-bound and often challenging kitchen environments such as schools, hospitals, armed forces, care homes, high street casual dining or pub kitchens. Production chefs are likely to work with centrally developed standardised recipes and menus, producing food often in high volumes. They apply methodical organisational skills, energy, accuracy, attention to detail and are mindful of the importance of sustainability and protecting the environment.

Production chefs;
- Maintain excellent standards of personal, food and kitchen hygiene
- Ensure compliance to procedures, menu specifications and recipes
- Produce food meeting portion controls and budgetary constraints
- Adapting and produce dishes to meet special dietary, religious and allergenic requirements
- Follow, complete and maintain production schedules, legislative and quality standard documentation
- Use specialist kitchen-equipment
- Communicate internally and externally with customers and colleagues
- Commit to personal development activities
What qualifications will I get?

Level 2 Production Chef
What can I go onto next?
You could progress on to;
- Employment as a Commis Chef in a variety of organisations,
- or further related CPD training, such as, Level 2 Award in Food Safety or Certificate in Allergy Awareness.
How will I be assessed?
Assessment

Apprentices must pass all three assessment methods

Knowledge test
- 30 multiple choice based questions
- 60 minutes time limit
Practical observation
- An independent assessor will observe the apprentice undertaking preparation and service for around 120 minutes
- The observation will be followed by questions from the independent assessors about the task(s) completed
Professional discussion
- A 40 minute structured discussion between the apprentice and the independent assessor covering the KSB’s within the standard
Entry requirements

Entry requirements

Apprentices without Level 1 English & Maths (GCSE grade 2/3) will need to achieve Level 1 and take the test for Level 2 English and Maths prior to taking the end point assessment.

For those with an EHCP or legacy statement the minimum requirement is Entry level 3.

Apprenticeship FAQ's

Level 2 Food and Beverage Team Member Apprenticeship

Tell me about the course
A Food and Beverage team member may work in a range of establishments for example restaurants, bars, cafes, counter service, licensed premises, and coffee shops. The role is varied and although food and beverage team members tend to specialise in roles such as bar person, waiter or waitress and food and beverage assistant, they should be ready to support team members across the business. Communicating efficiently and effectively and creating a positive and comfortable environment are key to this role.

Example units;

Knowledge
- Recognise a range of food and beverages, their price, and any pairings, deals or offers.
- Understand health and safety legislation, regulations, guidelines and procedures relevant to own role.
- Know the processes for handling transactions and payments securely.
- Understand methods to sustainably reduce waste of resources, in line with business standards.
- Know the different customer types and how their specific needs and customer journeys differ.
- Know the different types of organisations that make up the wider hospitality industry.
Skills
- Tailor communication techniques to meet customer needs and build rapport.
- Work as part of a team to ensure that the products and services are delivered on time and in line with business needs.
- Serve food and beverages to individual business standards.
- Manage own time and workload, prioritising tasks.
- Uses feedback to improve own performance.
- Check customers are satisfied with products and services through questioning and act on feedback in line with business procedures.
Behaviours
- Take responsibility for own health, wellbeing and professional development, seeking support when appropriate.
- Show commercial awareness.
- Be customer focused.
- Be diligent in safe and hygienic working practices.
- Be team focused, working collaboratively with colleagues and other professionals.
- Observe professional standards in own role e.g. time keeping and appearance.
What qualifications will I get?

Level 2 Food and Beverage Team Member
What can I go onto next?
A qualification in Food and Beverage Team member can help you succeed in a hospitality role in any size or type of organisation.

The Food and Beverage Team member apprenticeship is designed for learners in the Hospitality Industry roles of which are many and varied, they could include:
- Food and Beverage Team member
- Waitress/Waiter
- Food and Beverage Assistant
On successful completion of the Food and Beverage Team member Level 2 apprenticeship you may have the opportunity to progress into:
- An advanced level 3 apprenticeship
- An enhanced job role using the skills, knowledge and behaviours developed whilst undertaking the Food and Beverage Team Member Apprenticeship.
- Enter sector specific job roles which contain elements of transferable hospitality skills, potentially including the undertaking of additional sector specific vocational qualification.
How will I be assessed?
End-point assessment (EPA) is the final stage of an apprenticeship. This is an impartial assessment, carried out by an independent assessor and will assess your development of the skills, knowledge and behaviours outlined in the apprenticeship standard.

This EPA has 2 assessment methods, both of which must be passed.
- Assessment method 1 – observation with questions.
- Assessment method 2 – interview underpinned by a portfolio of evidence.
Entry requirements

You will, ideally, have a minimum of three GCSEs Grades 3/D, including maths and English. Please speak to us if you have not achieved these as you may be able to gain these qualifications alongside your training.

There are no further mandatory entry requirements, however, employers are looking to attract applicants who have a keen interest in hospitality service delivery and working in a customer facing role.

You must have the right to work in the UK and have been residing in the UK for the prior 3 years.

Apprenticeship FAQs

Level 3 Hospitality Supervisor Apprenticeship

Tell me about the course
An apprenticeship is a practical, work-related course, designed to allow you to learn whilst you earn. This programme is suitable for school leavers and mature students who have a keen interest in hospitality service delivery and wish to pursue a career through on-the-job training.

The Level 3 Hospitality Supervision Apprenticeship is designed to give you the understanding needed to provide vital support to management teams, and to independently supervise hospitality services. Following completion of this apprenticeship, you could look forward to employment in a wide variety of businesses including bars, restaurants, cafés, conference centres, banqueting venues, hotels or contract caterers.

You will gain the knowledge and behaviours required to be a competent hospitality supervisor and your training will include the following:
- Understand your own role in motivating the team to work according to the business vision and values, and to achieve business targets, always focusing on the importance of providing the best service for customers.
- How to contribute to and monitor operational procedures, working practices and team performance, and make recommendations for business improvements.
- How to effectively assist with/carry out team meetings to ensure that team members are informed of objectives and given appropriate information.
- How to encourage team members to make the best use of their abilities, realise opportunities to develop their skills and increase their learning.
- How to empower the team to solve customer problems within clear limits of their authority.
- How to monitor operational procedures and give feedback to the team at appropriate times and in an appropriate manner.
Your role will be to support the hospitality manager and uphold the standards of the workplace. You will oversee the delivery of an efficient, high-quality service, maximising profitability, achieving financial targets and ensuring business objectives are met. Your work may include coordinating a range of dining experiences and you will demonstrate adaptability to the ever-increasing diversity in food and beverage menus.

You will learn in a real-world environment and be assigned an instructor-mentor who will provide all the guidance and support you need to succeed. You will also have the support of workplace mentors who will provide you with a wealth of company knowledge and experience.

In addition, you will take part in regular sessions in college where you can meet up with other apprentices, from varying levels of experience, to share your personal experiences and reflect on your learning journey. You will also have the opportunity to take part in enrichment activities, such as, connecting with guest speakers, participating in industry events, and the chance to gain additional qualifications in Food Hygiene and Allergy Awareness.
What Qualification will I get

Level 3 Hospitality Supervision
What can I go onto next
You could progress on to;
- employment in a range of hospitality supervisor roles,
- a Level 4 Hospitality Manager Apprenticeship,
- or further training related to sector specific job roles.
How will I be assessed

End-point assessment (EPA) is the final stage of an apprenticeship. This is an impartial assessment, carried out by an independent body, and will assess your development of the skills, knowledge and behaviours outlined in the apprenticeship standard.

Assessment will include a multiple-choice test, workplace observation, a professional discussion and a business project, where you will explore an opportunity/challenge/idea to make an improvement to the business.
Entry Requirements

You must have a minimum of Grades 4/C in GCSE maths and English, or Level 2 Functional Skills.

You must also have the right to work in the UK and have been residing in the UK for the prior 3 years.

Apprenticeship FAQs

Hospitality & Catering

Hospitality Apprenticeships

Available courses

Level 2 Commis Chef Apprenticeship

Tell me about the Programme

What qualifications will I get?

What can I go onto next?

How will I be assessed?

Entry Requirements

Level 2 Production Chef Apprenticeship

Tell me about the programme

What qualifications will I get?

What can I go onto next?

How will I be assessed?

Entry requirements

Level 2 Food and Beverage Team Member Apprenticeship

Tell me about the course

What qualifications will I get?

What can I go onto next?

How will I be assessed?

Entry requirements

Level 3 Hospitality Supervisor Apprenticeship

Tell me about the course

What Qualification will I get

What can I go onto next

How will I be assessed

Entry Requirements

If you would like to talk to someone at BLC just call 0800 074 0099 or you can email us an enquiry to enquiries@blc.ac.uk

If you would like to talk to someone at BLC just call 0800 074 0099
or you can email us an enquiry to enquiries@blc.ac.uk