RIVER Cottage Chefs’ School has offered ten local unemployed young people the chance to don their chef whites again as they enrol in its Young Chef Apprenticeship Scheme following a Prince’s Trust Get Into course.

River Cottage HQ opened up its modern Chefs’ School to a group of budding chefs for the trust’s programme in May.

The course offers vocational training and practical experience to unemployed young people who are interested in the hospitality industry.

Following successful completion of the course, ten young people have now been invited back into the kitchen to complete the school’s Level 2 Professional Cookery Apprenticeship Scheme. Chris Griffin, head of Education at River Cottage Chefs’ School, says: “This was a new experience to many of the young people, some of whom had never made an omelette, so I’m delighted they’ve picked up the tricks of the trade so quickly and I look forward to tracking their progression over the coming year.

“With 28 per cent of unemployed 16 to 24-year-olds spending over a year out of work, it’s vital that we continue to offer talented young people the opportunity to get back into work and our apprenticeship scheme is just one way that we can make this happen.”

The ten apprentices will not only go on to gain a professional cookery qualification, but will also complete the course while working in some of the south west’s restaurants, pubs and hotels.

Bev Britton at The Prince’s Trust, says: “We’re delighted that our partnership with River Cottage has been so successful.

“It just goes to show that this programme has all the right ingredients to give young people the best chance of securing jobs; a pinch of passion, professional teaching and practical experience is all it takes to move them forward on their journey to success.”