Should I do an NVQ or get a job if I want to be a chef?

Question

I'm a postgraduate politics student, but want to train as a chef. I'm 25 and have two years' experience as a kitchen assistant. Should I focus on getting an NVQ or job experience?

Answers

Johnny Johnson, communications manager at HCTC:

You can gain NVQs and on-the-job experience simultaneously through work-based learning. Contact HCTC on 0500 832 300 to find a placement where you can gain the necessary skills while getting your NVQ qualifications.

If you'd rather go to catering college and focus solely on gaining NVQs in the first instance, then you will find them listed in the Caterer & Hotelkeeper Directory. There's an online version of this at www.caterer-directory.com.

Your local Learning and Skills Council will also be able to give you information about colleges in your area.

!](https://cdn.filestackcontent.com/xjLz9vvvRtWhzcs2zLuB)Ian Horrox, human resources director, Conran Restaurants and Retail Why not try the Springboard website, [www.springboard.co.uk, which will show you all the different colleges around the country? Many hotels and restaurants offer NVQs, or equivalent training, on the job, and a full-time position will help develop other skills, as the environment of a busy kitchen is something that can only be experienced on the job. Make sure you choose a reputable establishment, with a planned training and development programme in place. Contacting well-known hotel and restaurant groups, or looking at their websites, will give you an idea of what's on offer. Within Conran Restaurants we've developed the two-year chef apprentice programme, with one-day-a-week training at the Thames Valley University. Apprentices who complete the programme will be awarded the NVQ levels 2 and 3, a Conran chef apprentice certificate and a full-time job as a Conran chef. Each apprentice is coached and supported throughout the programme by a senior member of the management team. After the chef apprentice programme, a natural progression is our chef development programme. This is designed in three levels, certificate, higher certificate and advanced certificate, to guide chefs through their career path. If you'd like to submit a question, send it to .