"I’ve really enjoyed my apprenticeship, especially my sessions with my assessor who has given me great encouragement."
An apprenticeship can transform your working life, even if you’re already in a job. Toufik Bernaoui has been promoted from Commis Chef to Chef de Partie at French restaurant Le Vacherin in West London, as a result of completing an apprenticeship with Lewisham College.
During his apprenticeship, which included a Level 2 Professional Cookery qualification, Toufik gained lots of new skills. “I’ve learned how to stuff and roll a whole leg of lamb,” he says, “and how to prepare fish dishes such as plaice and mackerel, which I hadn’t done before.”
One of the main things the apprenticeship has given Toufik is confidence. By building kitchen skills such as different cooking methods, understanding seasonal fresh ingredients and how to build recipes from them, he is no longer intimidated by cooking new dishes. “When the Head Chef is developing new dishes he now trusts me to help. I can create more dishes and am more confident when following recipes.
He adds: “I’ve really enjoyed my apprenticeship, especially my sessions with my assessor who has given me great encouragement.”
