Careers Spotlight: Chef

What does it take to become a qualified and well-paid chef in the UK? If you have a passion for creating fabulous culinary experiences, thrive under pressure, and have excellent people management and communication skills, you may be interested in training as a chef. A chef can be a very rewarding career that offers plenty of opportunities for progression and international mobility, as well as remuneration.

So lets start with the most important question

What Is A Chef?

The chef brigade will consist of a number of chef levels, commis chef, chef de partie, sous chef, and the head chef. The head chef will be in charge and run the operation.

The higher-level chefs will have all worked as a commis chef. They will have worked their way up the kitchen brigade ladder.

The higher the level of chef within the brigade, the higher the salary and will increase accordingly.

Chefs can work in a variety of places, these will include: restaurants, hotels, cruise ships, event catering, hospitals, offices, and the list goes on.

These are the steps to becoming a qualified chef in the UK if you are starting from scratch.

1) Get Qualified

There is no single route into becoming a qualified chef. However, there are basic qualifications you should have to work in the role.

One of them is a Food Hygiene Certificate that matches the CIEH syllabus. There are 3 levels to this certificate, covering all aspects of food safety awareness. If you’re looking for an entry-level job, a Level 2 Certificate is enough, but as you move through the kitchen hierarchy, you’ll be expected to have a Level 3 certificate.

A degree is not a required qualification, but it can be a bonus if it’s related to the food industry. Some degrees that can be helpful are those in Culinary Arts or Professional Cookery. Knowledge of food and wine pairing is also useful, as are courses offered by internationally respected and recognised organisations, like Cordon Bleu. Alternatively, you can take relevant NVQs and enrich your skills with on the job training.

2) Become An Apprentice

Apprenticeship schemes can place you in a kitchen straight from school, where you will learn and train at the same time. In other words, if you become an apprentice, you will earn a wage, train as a chef, and gain a qualification at the end of your apprenticeship.

If you are just getting started, you should consider becoming a kitchen apprentice or apply to a commis chef apprenticeship. After 12 to 15 months, you will be awarded with an Apprenticeship Standard and will be able to move on to another level, such as a Chef de Partie apprenticeship.

3) Gain Experience

No matter how many qualifications you have or your level of raw talent for cooking, no one hires a chef without wide and varied experience. Becoming a head chef is an ambitious goal, so you should never stop learning and gaining experience. Often, what you can learn from seasoned professionals through mentoring schemes and on-the-job training cannot be taught through formal education, so keep your eyes wide open and ask local restaurants or hotels about work experience opportunities.

4) Be The Best Commis Chef You Can Be

During your years as a commis chef, you will work alongside and learn from head or senior chefs on a formal and informal basis. Don’t be afraid to ask your managers and senior colleagues about the things you can do to become a better commis chef. If you are a successful commis chef, you may eventually be promoted or gain the experience needed to apply for higher positions at other restaurants.

5) Be Patient

Becoming a chef is a long-term goal and as such it requires long-term vision and dedication. You will need to cultivate patience to reach your goal, as accumulating the experience and knowledge needed to be a top chef can take years. Above all, view your career as a long-term investment in your future, be patient and open minded – and enjoy the journey!

If you want to learn more about working in a professional kitchen click on the links below

Boosting your CV

So what is a CV?  CV is short for Curriculum Vitae and is a short document which summarises your unique skills, character, experience and achievements.  

For students it can feel difficult to know what to write as you haven't had the time to build up the experience that employers always seem to want.

In this section we look at ways of making your CV stand out for future employers so you can get that dream job.  With the summer holidays nearly here it is a good time to consider doing some voluntary work.

Consider volunteering for a few weeks:

A great way to improve your working experience is to volunteer for a few weeks.

And we’re not just about the local charity shop.

If you have a particular type of job in mind that you’d like to do, why not search for companies within that industry and request to do a couple of weeks volunteering with them? The company will benefit from having an extra pair of hands for a few weeks, and you’ll benefit from improving your knowledge, understanding and experience, which will look great on your CV!

Finding volunteering opportunities is easier than you think. The first place you should start looking is in your local area. Drop by some of the places that you wouldn’t mind working in for a few weeks and ask if they have the capacity to take you on as a volunteer, or click on the link below.

If you don’t have any luck in your local area, try searching online. There are a large number of volunteering websites out there that list opportunities all across the UK.

Help for Parents and Carers

When it comes to education and careers, parents and carers have a large influence on a students choices. As an adult you are expected to have all the answers, but in a constantly evolving world it can be a struggle to keep up with the latest options out there.  In this section we will highlight resources that will help keep you up to date with careers and the choices available to young people.

With the summer holidays approaching it is natural to think about the new school year and what lays beyond.  

I want to talk at home about careers but don't know where to start

In terms of career choice, you should:

• Aid, but not dictate, the decision-making process

• Support your child’s decisions

• Give your children freedom and time to discover their skills

• Provide motivation to develop and achieve

• Provide encouragement to pursue interests and ambitions

• Try to instil a responsible attitude and mature outlook

• Instil an attitude of self belief by being positive and never critical – as a parent your words will have the biggest effect on your child.

Talking Futures have a website and lots of resources to help parents talk about careers, click on the image below to find out more

Careers in Hertfordshire: HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM

A career in the world of leisure, tourism and hospitality is full of opportunities, often with fast progression to management level. Particularly within hospitality many a famous face started out as an apprentice or a school leaver.

The catering and hospitality sector serves up a host of different apprenticeships in restaurants, cafés, pubs, bars, nightclubs and hotels. The sector also includes customer service roles, as well as working in the supply network that provides food and drink to other industries. You could train as a chef in a restaurant, or learn how to cook on a large scale for institutions such as the NHS. You could also be 'front of house' welcoming guests or helping management ensure effective day-to-day operations.

Looking further afield, the travel industry is an exciting place to be right now. Travel companies are experiencing huge demand and with this growth comes many different and exciting career opportunities. The jobs in travel are wide ranging, from sales, marketing, IT and digital transformation, to managing sustainability programmes and working abroad. 

Skills needed in this sector include teamwork, time-management, interpersonal, communication, creativity and organisational skills.  The sector naturally has a very hands-on approach to work, with lots of ‘on the job’ learning and direct interaction with customers. The sector has been involved in offering apprenticeship and school leaver opportunities for years - so you’ll find lots of opportunities out there for you, not just in the UK but worldwide!

People's leisure time is so important to them and it is not to be underestimated how much impact you can have on a person's wellbeing by being involved in hospitality, leisure and tourism. The sector provides fun, relaxation, culture, music, laughter and friendship, so rest assured by having a career in this sector you are making a difference to people's lives.

HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM IN HERTFORDSHIRE

You will never be stuck for things to do in Hertfordshire, from stunning stately homes, wild days out, cultural escapes and magical memories - Hertfordshire (or Herts as we like to call it) is the perfect place for leisure.

Just 20 minutes from London by train but still far away from the stresses of the big city, our lush, green county is brimming with exciting things to do and some seriously great places to stay. Explore famous sites such as St Albans Cathedral, Hatfield House, Knebworth House, or capture the magic of Harry Potter with a visit to Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter. And if you're looking for wild beasts, Roman ruins, sculpture gardens, year-round snow, traditional English villages, 5* luxury or boutique B&Bs, Hertfordshire is the place to be.

With 71,000 employees working within the industry in Hertfordshire, the local visitor economy topped £2.4 billion for the first time ever in 2019, with 29 million visitors welcomed to the county throughout the year. 

For more information please go to www.hopinto.co.uk/ 

Current Opportunities

This month we have two opportunities to learn about careers within the health sector.  Additionally, the Careers and Enterprise Company regularly host virtual employer encounters which give students the opportunity to easily find out about careers in specific sectors.  We have included a link to the library of webinars they have hosted within the last year.

Lincolnshire Training Hub are holding a FREE event for students applying to medicine.

The new re-vamped event aimed to help students who want to apply to Medicine gain insight into working in the NHS, and learn skills they will find helpful throughout their medical degree. We acknowledge that work experience has become increasingly hard to get, due to COVID and high prices held by other companies. Therefore, we started this event to help those in need.

The event will be held at the University of Lincoln Medical School on the 13th of July between 9am and 4:30pm.

To apply for this course please fill out the form on our website > Training and Events > Futures Programme > Future Doctor and return it to courses@lincolnshiretraininghub.nhs.uk

The deadline for applications is the 25/6/24.

If you have any questions, please email us.

Thank you,

Molly Butcher

Future Doctor Lead

Lincolnshire Training Hub

NHSE

Allied Health Mentor

There is an upcoming NHS Allied Healthcare Work Experience session happening Sunday 7th July. It's a fantastic opportunity for students in years 10/S3/NI11 through 13/S6/NI14 who are considering a career in healthcare.

At the start of the session, attendees will engage with a distinguished guest speaker, providing a rare chance to glean insights from Natalie Hicks, a seasoned Occupational Therapist. They will then delve into the pivotal aspects of Pain Management & Mental Health.

Registration Link: https://alliedhealthmentor.org/product/live-virtual-work-experience-programme/.

Our guest speaker, Natalie Hicks, a seasoned Occupational Therapist, will share their wealth of knowledge and insights, offering invaluable guidance to aspiring healthcare professionals. Following their talk, students will be guided through various allied health careers by exploring the journeys of two patients from initial presentation to full recovery. Students will gain invaluable perspectives on patient care dynamics and the collaborative efforts within the NHS, including exploring careers within:

- Nursing

- Midwifery

- Paramedicine

- Physiotherapy

- Occupational Therapy

- Dietetics

- Radiography

- Prosthetics and Orthotics

- Speech and Language Therapy

- Pharmacy

Attendees will have the opportunity to interact with healthcare professionals throughout each day. This will empower students to make informed career decisions and demonstrate their commitment to healthcare in their UCAS applications.

Once they’ve registered, students will be emailed links to their virtual work experience portals.

Students are awarded a Work Experience Certificate for every session they complete. Those who complete the full 6-month programme will be awarded a Highly Commended Reference from the Presidents of Allied Healthcare Mentor. These are fantastic additions to their CVs!

Students can register individually at any time throughout the 6-month programme using the link below. We recommend booking early to gain as much out of this programme as possible. Places are £10 a session to cover administrative and technological costs.

Sign up here:

https://alliedhealthmentor.org/nhs-healthcare-careers-virtual-work-experience/ 

VIRTUAL EMPLOYER ENCOUNTERS

Please click on the link below

Virtual Employer Encounters