Catering and Professional Chef - Apprenticeship Level 2

Essentials

Duration: Up to 2 Years Full-time
Start date: 1st September 2025
End date: 4th June 2027
Information Event: Yes

Course fee: FREE (Eligibility criteria may apply)

What is an Apprenticeship?

As an apprenticeship you are employed as full-time members of staff and typically work for an employer three to four days a week. One or two days a week is spent at college, studying for nationally-recognised qualifications in the same profession as the apprenticeship.

• You must find your own employer.
• Some employers may require GCSEs on entry.
• It might be possible to do an apprenticeship with a current employer.
• You work all year round, but your College classes run from September to July.

Employers pay for the day the apprentice is in college, meaning you will receive a full-time wage at least  in accordance with the national minimum wage.

Details and restrictions

• Apprentices must be aged 16 or above. There is no upper age limit, which means you can start an apprenticeship at any stage of your career.
• Potential apprentices can be existing or new employees including graduates or about to take up a permanent paid employment offer. An existing employee must be in a new job that requires a substantial amount of learning and skills development.  You must be employed by a company that has a base in Northern Ireland and is registered as an employer with HMRC and be contracted to work a minimum of 21 hours per week with one employer.

Course Content

An apprenticeship in Catering and Professional Chefs combines the practical hands-on experience of the workplace with the knowledge and understanding and practical skills gained in the college classroom and work.

Units include:

• Developing skills for employment in the Catering and Hospitality Industry.
• Food safety in catering.
• Health and safety in catering.
• Nutritional and special diets in catering.
• Kitchen operations, costs and menu planning.
• Applying workplace skills.
• Prepare and cook sauces, stocks, soups, fruit and vegetables, meat and offal, poultry, fish and shellfish, pasta and rice grains and egg dishes, desserts and puddings and bakery products.

What will I gain? 

• Technical Award Certificate in Hospitality & Catering Principles and NVQ Diploma in Professional Cookery.
• Good practical skills.
• The ability to work as part of a team.
• Essential Skills in Numeracy, Literacy and ICT 
• Access to the Digital Learning Environment (DLE)

Meet the Apprentice

James and Jason share their experiences on what it is like to work, earn and learn with an apprenticeship.

Meet the Employer

Galgorm have worked closely with the College over the last few years on the apprenticeship programme taking on professional cookery and food and beverage apprentices offering a rewarding career in the hospitality industry.  Richard McGowan, Staff Engagement Officer from Galgorm explains more.

Special Features

• Visits to Hotels and restaurants
• Guest speakers, e.g. professional chefs, hotel managers, Environmental Health Officers etc.
• CIEH Level 2 Award in food safety
• Competition Work.
• You will be allocated a personal tutor to help you throughout the course. The College also offers learning support and guidance.

Assessment Methods

Continuous assessment throughout the course and online portfolio building.

You must:

• Have attained the minimum school leaving age of 16 on or before 1 July in the year of proposed entry to the course 
• Have or be about to take up permanent paid employment with a Northern Ireland-based company and be contracted to work a minimum of 21 hours per week (including day release/ off- the-job training) with one employer.
• Have the potential to successfully complete all the requirements of the appropriate Level 2/Level 3 Apprenticeship Framework.
• Meet any health requirements (eg colour vision) specific to the occupation of their choice.
• Have achieved any necessary entry academic qualifications (eg GCSE) determined by the relevant sector for the apprenticeship and approved by the Department for the Economy.
• Pass any entry tests specified by the relevant sector/employer and approved by the Department for the Economy.
• Attend an information session.

In addition if you are an existing employee you must be:

• In permanent remunerative employment with a Northern Ireland-based company from day one of the apprenticeship.
• Contracted to work a minimum of 21 hours per week (including day release/off-the-job training) with one employer; and meet all the other eligibility criteria as set out above.

All relevant paperwork should be uploaded to the admissions portal prior to being considered for an apprenticeship, this should include your:

• Employer response form
• Vision verification form (Electrical Installation only)
• One form of official photographic ID
• Official proof of your National Insurance number eg Letter from HMRC

To access the forms and for further details visit our Apprenticeship page 

Following successful completion of the Level 2 ApprenticeshipsNI you may be able to progress to an ApprenticeshipsNI Level 3 or employment in the field you have studied in.