Browns launches £150,000 catering and hospitality apprenticeship
Browns bar and brasserie has launched a new £150,000 catering and hospitality management apprenticeship scheme in its restaurants.
The Mitchells and Butlers-owned brand plans to recruit 60 apprentices to its new 12-month scheme - equating to around £2,500 per apprentice. Places have already been filled with front of house team members and chefs, who will ultimately gain the Level 2 Food & Beverage Apprenticeship and Level 2 Professional Cookery Apprenticeship respectively.
Browns has made an initial investment of £150,000 in the scheme, which uses an e-learning resource along with assessments being carried out by "mentor assessors" who are Browns' own general managers and head chefs.
Commenting on the launch, Vanessa Hall, brand operations director for Browns said: "Browns has a fantastic track record in developing in our people and offering career progression. We our proud of our loyal and highly skilled work force and the launch of the apprentice scheme can only enhance this. A career in catering is sometimes overlooked but we're looking to change those perceptions by offering a really high level of training. We are offering extremely competitive rates of pay which are the equivalent to the full rate for the jobs being performed, plus they receive training and nationally recognised qualification at the end of the 12-month training period."
David Way, chief executive, National Apprenticeship Service said: "The launch of Mitchells & Butlers/Browns Apprenticeship programme shows the importance that leading employers are placing on apprenticeships to help recruit and train talented young people to become the high quality chefs and hospitality professionals they need for their growing business. By working together with employers to offer high quality Apprenticeship programmes, we can show young people and their parents that there are clear opportunities to climb the ladder right to the top through taking up apprenticeships."
"Our long-term aim is to offer 100 apprentice places each year and take on all trainees on a full-time contract. Well trained front-of-house teams and chefs are critical to the success of our business and the standards of the apprenticeship course reflect this."
Adam Ellis , 18, an apprentice chef at Browns Sheffield, added: "I have loved cooking all my life and my ambition has always been to become a chef. I have worked as a kitchen assistant in a sandwich shop but when I saw the apprentice advert to work for a great company like Browns I was really excited and wanted to jump at the chance. I believe with this apprenticeship I can pursue a brilliant career within a well-known restaurant.
Chloe Richards, 16, front of house apprentice at Browns Bath said: "I didn't know what I wanted to do but wanted to work with people. Most regular jobs you need to have experience and so I looked at the apprentice option. This gave me a great opportunity to work in a really nice restaurant in Bath. So far it's going really well. Everyone has been really friendly and I'm learning loads of new skills and looking forwards to working with Browns over the next year."
By Neil Gerrard
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