Choosing a college and course

Question

My son would like to go into catering with the aim of becoming a chef. He is confused by the range of courses available and the number of colleges offering catering courses. What is the best type of course to go for? Do some colleges have a better reputation than others? With universities there is so much kudos if you have been to Oxford and Cambridge, and this can often help when applying for jobs in certain fields. Is there a similar hierarchy for catering colleges?

What the expert says

Jane Riches, national programmes manager, Springboard UK

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The most popular rote to becoming a chef is to go to a catering college. The most famous one is Westminster Kingsway, where many top chefs have trained, including Ainsley Harriott and Jamie Oliver. When selecting a college you need to make sure that it covers all the basics - hygiene, safety and basic food preparation methods. It is highly recommended that all chefs learn the basics before going on to more complicated dishes and methods. Look at City & Guilds NVQ level one and two. Also make sure that your son does a technical certificate such as Basic Food Hygiene and Basic Health and Safety. All good catering colleges will offer this as part of another course. Alternatively, your son could join a Modern Apprenticeship Scheme. This is a free scheme paid for by the Government. It works by your son getting a full-time job with an employer who will teach him the skills he needs. Then an external assessor will assess your son at work to make sure he reaches the national standard of NVQ level two. He will also do the two technical Certificates mentioned above. This is a very popular choice for both candidates and employers, as both gain from the training. Some companies, such as Scottish & Newcastle, Moat House Hotels and Conran Restaurants, run their own schemes.