Modern apprenticeships are providing the ingredients for solving the national chef shortage, writes Renee Jones
An apprenticeship scheme that is combating a nationwide chef shortage is fulfilling Clair Small's lifelong dream of being a cook. Miss Small, 19, from Kingsland, is one of this year's 10 students working on a three-year
modern apprenticeship at SkyCity. She says the scheme allows her to fulfil her ambition and avoid student debt. ''I always loved cooking and I liked the idea of the career, fast-paced, getting the rush you get from cheffing. Studying to be a chef is really expensive, so getting paid while you are working and not having to pay for that is great.'' ''If you're in a classroom you're not experiencing being a chef. You might get into the job and get a shock. You learn while you're working, but it's hard work.'' The scheme was introduced by the government in 2000 to attract school leavers into the workforce. SkyCity has trained 10 chefs in the programme with 17 still completing their studies. It is one of the country's largest food and beverage operators and executive chef Warren Bias says the scheme is a successful vehicle to address the shortage of chefs. ''It's widely known that there is a nationwide chef shortage in New Zealand. Graduates of the programme are effectively lifting the bar in the market place and benefiting the hospitality industry as a whole. ''We got into the programme because of the shortage of chefs within the industry and saw the benefits of inhouse training. The chefs we have recruited will become market leaders one day.
