Modern Apprenticeship in Cookery

The course

The Hospitality Standards Institute (HSI) co-ordinates the Modern Apprenticeship in Cookery, organising and monitoring apprentice chefs and providing their off-job training.

Apprentices spend three years in training, mainly being taught and supervised by a senior chef at their workplace.

They also study five modules through the HSI, spending a week doing practical and theoretical work once every six months.

Apprentices are assessed by HSI before they tackle the next module. This can be a practical exam, and can also include written or verbal questions about the theory they have learnt.

There's no set number of hours apprentices have to do, rather it is a competency-based qualification.

Successful apprentices achieve the National Certificate in Cookery Level 3 and Level 4, which means they finish with the highest cookery qualification in New Zealand.

The HSI modules encompass an introduction to the hospitality industry, covering customer service and health and safety; an introduction to cookery, including food safety and basic cookery units; advanced cookery; professional cookery, covering complex dishes and the theory of complex cookery; and cookery supervision, looking at running and managing a kitchen.

Apprentices are visited at work every three months by an HSI co-ordinator, who helps to set up an individual study plan.

The only entry requirement for the apprenticeship is that a person be aged 16-21, and apprenticeships can start at any time. HSI links employers and would-be apprentices.

The training costs $1250, including GST, and HSI runs classes in Auckland, Rotorua and Whangarei.

What graduates think

Logan Turner, 20

Third-year apprentice chef

Winner of the HSI Cookery Modern Apprentice of the year 2004

Sky City Auckland


"I competed in the Culinary Fare secondary school competition in 2001 and was encouraged to apply for an apprenticeship as I wanted to be a chef.

"Most of my training is done at Sky City. Executive sous chef Peter Ray trains me every Thursday and takes me through all the unit standards that I have to complete.

"There is some paper work, the theory side of it, that I go off-site for through HSI.

"It all ties up the loose strings of my apprenticeship. I find it good to get a mix of different people's views and different teaching methods.

"It is not an easy job. There are long hours and there is lots of heavy lifting and it is unsociable. You have got to juggle your families and your work and social life.

"But if you have the enthusiasm to be a chef you can pretty much go anywhere. Whatever you put in, you will get out.

"I wouldn't trade anything in the world for the experience and knowledge that I have gained from Sky City as it is so much more related to the hospitality industry than sitting in a classroom situation and learning all your skills at an educational institution."

What employers think

Warren Bias

Group executive chef

Sky City Auckland


"From Sky City's point of view, we would like to put something back into the industry, which is the apprenticeships side of the things.

"For instance, Peter Ray, Logan's supervisor, gives up his own time and goes the extra mile to help.

"With the size of our establishment (being one of the largest employers of chefs in the country) we can easily take on the apprentices within the scope of our normal day-to-day operations.

"What we are looking for is young people who want to be top of the field one day. We are looking for articulate, driven, dedicated young people with a can-do attitude and a customer service focus.

"There aren't as many people (applying for apprenticeships) as anyone in the industry would like. That is an industry thing - it is very unsocial hours and it's hard work. You have to love it to do it.

"You can travel on it and do a lot of things - that is the upside of it.

"Having completed the apprenticeship and having it on your CV means we, as an employer, have a level of expectation of what these people can deliver.

"But it is not only the qualification, it is also about where it was delivered.

"It's great for the industry that apprenticeships have been re-established. In January we will take on another four apprentices."

The qualification

Modern Apprenticeship in Cookery

Hospitality Standards Institute

Phone: 0800 275 4474

Email

Indicative salary: $8-$11 per hour as an apprentice; then $13-$18 per hour