Chefs in the last decade have become superstars, names who we know, showing us dishes that we can replicate in our homes with just a little time and skill. This has been both a powerful and positive influence on our industry and on the colleges who train the future stars for our Industry.
Waiting in the shadows behind these visible role models there have always been the food and beverage service professionals, calm, unruffled, utterly charming and discreet. Who ensure the front of house runs like a well oiled machine while keeping customers happy, satisfied and coming back for more.
But as we are seeing in the new BBC2 series, Michel Roux’s Service, people aren’t born with these skills and knowledge, there is a huge amount of training and development that is undertaken and this can be done both in the workplace but also occurs in catering colleges (FE colleges) throughout the country.
Until recently the provision for college-based courses in food and beverage service was, to say the least, poor. The qualifications did not meet the needs of the industry and were in need of change. Most companies trained their restaurant staff on the job thereby negating the need for college-based education. This caused a spiral where industry did not trust college education and colleges lacking numbers reduced their food and beverage service provision.
Nowadays, if food and beverage service is to become an appealing profession that young people want to enter there are now new and reliable options that colleges can provide. The major benefit of a college-led education is that young people can be exposed to a wider variety of experiences than could be offered in a single work place.
The other great challenge that college’s face are cuts in government funding, the amount of money that is being spent on a young person’s education has been reduced year on year and this will have an impact on how the training is delivered within colleges.
This is what the modern college can offer:
- Apprenticeships – The young person is employed within an establishment and is released into college one day a week, where they follow a structured teaching plan and are practically assessed to receive a Level 2 Qualification in Food and Beverage Service. The Government is putting a great deal of funding in place to support apprenticeship training in colleges.
- Full- time courses – There are a suite of new Certificate and Diploma courses in Food and Beverage Service these courses are normally taught alongside the equivalent level Professional Chef course. These qualifications are both practical and theoretical and by the end of Level 2 students have a good rounded knowledge of both products and procedures as well as being able to work in a restaurant, bar or cafe.
- Part time courses – These vary in range and size, courses can be delivered in one day only or up to one evening a week for 30 weeks. The content can vary, there are small accredited qualifications in barista skills, cocktail making, wine and spirits, and customer service which could enhance or refresh the knowledge of any waiter or bar tender.
- Bespoke custom training – Most colleges can also offer specific tailormade courses for individual companies. The courses can be delivered in-house or in the college itself.
If, as food and beverage service professionals, we are to gain recognition and become a acknowledged career aspiration, we need to ensure that we are looking at all the different training routes into achieving this. Colleges have a great deal to offer let’s not miss this great opportunity.
Zoe Adjey
Food and Beverage Lecturer
Westminster College
Author: Food and Beverage Service S/NVQ Levels 1 & 2 http://edu.cengage.co.uk/catalogue/product.aspx?isbn=1408007428
Also consults for City & Guilds on the development of food and beverage service qualifications both here in the UK and abroad.
