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Junior Chef Academy (for 14-16 year olds)

Course Code: JRCA
  • Level: 1
  • Qualification: College Certificate
  • Awarding body: City College Plymouth
  • Duration: Six weeks
  • Course type: Short course
  • Time of day: Evening
  • When you'll study: Wednesdays, 5.00pm - 7.30pm

What's it all about?

Are you aged between 14 and 16 with a real interest in food and cooking? Maybe you have decided you want a really practical job and would like to try out what it would be like to train as a chef? Or you could be looking for an exciting after school activity in Plymouth.

City College Plymouth runs a Junior Chef Academy, one evening per week between 5.00pm and 7.30pm. Aimed at 14-16 year olds, the course costs are £0 (zero), however there is a £60 charge for materials.

This a great opportunity for you if you love cooking and really want to develop skills in the kitchen and learn how to cook with confidence and style. For those who are thinking of a career in catering it will whet your appetite for joining us in the future to train professionally at City College Plymouth.

Working with our professional chef lecturers in our state-of-the-art training kitchens, this six-week course will give you a real flavour for working with food to create interesting and mouth-watering dishes that you can take home and then practice on friends and family. We will take you through a programme that is both fun and enjoyable and enables you to explore your own creativity and budding passion for cooking as you follow the recipes.

We will supply all the ingredients, a chef’s jacket, apron, hat and any equipment that you will need to fully participate in all activities. However, we do ask that you wear a long-sleeved top, full length trousers (not jeans), flat shoes with a non-slip bottom (not trainers). Please bring with you a container to be able to take home the items you have made.

We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Savoy Educational Trust whose generosity has helped to fund this programme.

Course information

Working in our professional kitchens using our equipment you will be made aware of health and safety standards, hygiene practices and how to handle knives properly, safely and confidently.

You will learn how to prepare, produce and present a range of interesting and unusual dishes over the six-week programme which will involve meat, fish, vegetables, dessert and bread products.
You will gain an understanding of the use of commodities, develop and practice skills, work within a team and enjoy working with food. We also stress a healthy eating dimension in the dishes you produce, and each course will have a special focus on seasonality.

On the final week you will receive a Junior Chef Academy Certificate sponsored by The Savoy Educational Trust.

You will need to be aged 14 to 16 and have a genuine interest in developing your cooking skills.

There are no exams.

You may wish to choose catering as a career following this course and will have better skills if you wish to pursue a full-time hospitality and catering programme or Apprenticeship at the College.

Please note fees are quoted for one year only.

Download course PDF

Future careers

What you could earn:

Chefs

£31,840.84

Potential salary

£9,518.64

Entry level salary

£21,826.00

Average salary

38

Annual openings in Plymouth

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