Catering apprentice

Location: Wigan & Leigh College, Greater Manchester (WN1 1RS)

Closing date: 15 days from today (Friday 23 October 2026)

Posted on: 7 October 2026

Wage: £15,434 a year

Hours:

• Monday to Thursday: 8.30am-5.00pm
• Friday: 8.30am-4.00pm
• Term-time only, paid for 38 weeks

Start date: Monday 2 November 2026

Duration: 1 year

Positions available: 1

Summary

You’ll get hands-on experience across food preparation, cooking, serving, customer service, tills, stock, and kitchen activity. You’ll work alongside experienced colleagues who will help you develop your skills and understand the standards expected in a professional catering environment.

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

• Help prepare, cook and serve hot and cold food.
• Support food service across refectories, hospitality, bookings, and college events.
• Serve students, staff, and visitors in a friendly and professional way.
• Operate the till and support basic cash handling.
• Help with stock ordering, replenishment, and storage.
• Maintain food hygiene and temperature records.
• Keep kitchens, counters, and preparation areas clean and organised.
• Follow health and safety and food hygiene procedures.
• Learn how to use catering equipment safely.
• Complete the learning and development required as part of your apprenticeship.

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

Training provider

Wigan and Leigh College

Training course

Production chef (level 2)

Course contents

• Prepare and cook pre-portioned fresh and frozen meat, fish, and poultry to business standards.
• Prepare and cook fresh and frozen fruit and vegetables to business standards.
• Prepare salad vegetables to business standards.
• Cook poached, simmered, steamed, boiled, braised, stewed, baked, grilled, and fried dishes.
• Regenerate dried and frozen ingredients and dishes.
• Undertake stock control, storage, and rotation.
• Communicate professionally with colleagues, line managers, stakeholders, and customers.
• Work as part of a team to support service delivery.
• Follow specifications to produce, portion, and present food.
• Manage own time to ensure allocated tasks are completed.
• Use techniques for maintaining good mental health and wellbeing to support self and others, including asking for and giving help with daily tasks.
• Use feedback to improve own performance.
• Prepare and close down an area for service.
• Use problem-solving techniques to resolve routine and non-routine issues within scope of own role.
• Maintain prep and par levels according to business need.
• Clean and maintain manual and electrical food-preparation and cooking tools, equipment, and technology.
• Follow standard operating procedures to select and safely use appropriate knives and boards for the task.
• Monitor and record food temperatures and manage allergens during preparation, cooking, holding, and serving.
• Apply hygiene management techniques to maintain a safe clean work environment.
• Reduce the waste of resources.
• Comply with health and safety legislation, regulations, guidelines, and procedures.
• Follow equity, diversity, and inclusion legislation and organisational policies.
• Deliver to key performance indicators to support the production, performance, and budget within own area of responsibility.
• Use manual and electrical food-preparation and cooking tools, equipment, machinery, and technology.