To address a growing shortage of Chefs and Cooks province-wide, the local hospitality industry has partnered with North Island College to develop a training program that will enable people entering this exciting field to complete their apprenticeship and become fully qualified as quickly as possible. This new program will reduce the training time and upfront costs for students, increase the apprenticeship technical training credit initially received, and provide students with direct links to potential employers through work experience opportunities.
Starting in September, students will immediately be registered as apprentices with the Industry Training Authority of BC. Upon successful completion of their initial training in mid-April, students will receive technical training credit for the first two years of the three year apprenticeship. They are then eligible to be employed in the hospitality industry, and to receive apprenticeship time credits, until they return to school in mid-October. Upon completion of the final 14 week technical training session, the apprentices will write their Interprovincial (Red Seal) examination. They will then return to industry to complete their apprenticeship “time-in-trade” requirements.
Local employers have been instrumental in working with NIC to ensure students gain both technical training and work experience so they can progress as rapidly as possible, and to ensure they have hiring priority.
The following chefs and employers express their belief “that this program offers the right combination of practical hands-on and formal apprenticeship training and will provide a solid foundation towards an unlimited career path for those interested in pursuing a career in the industry.”
The next class starts September 4th in Campbell River. Space is limited and funding assistance may be available. For further information on this program, please contact Carol Matheson at (250) 923-9744.
For general information on North Island College and its programs, please visit www.nic.bc.ca.
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For further information contact:
Susan Auchterlonie
Director, College & Community Relations
(250) 334-5271