Young’s has been awarded “employer provider status”, allowing it to become an official training provider for apprentices.
The company said it will now deliver all its training in-house, opening the doors of its chef academies to more than 75 apprentices this year.
The status means Young’s can also leverage funds paid to the government’s Apprenticeship Levy for the training process itself, contributing more than 0.5% of its annual payroll to invest and develop kitchen talent internally.
Two new Chef Academy programmes have been launched and will run for 18 months, with apprentices receiving on-the-job training and development.
Level two gives commis chefs the opportunity to gain practical experience in cookery and business, while the level three programme focuses on advancing knowledge across a wide range of skills including business, people leadership, management, hospitality and customer service.
The group said that this programme helps emerging chefs take their first steps into leadership and prepare for a future role as a head chef.
Head of apprenticeships Jo Mears said: “Gaining employer provider status means we can deliver in-house training and high-quality apprenticeships that are aligned to Young’s core values and tailored to the needs of our business. The chef academies will harness and develop talent from within and with the continued support of a dedicated team, we know apprentices will flourish and grow their careers with us. It is widely acknowledged that there is a shortage of talented chefs in the UK and the Apprenticeship Levy helps us create significant opportunities for individuals who are hungry to learn and develop.”
