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Australian Apprenticeships & Traineeships : Apprenticeships in Commercial Cookery
The Gordon Institute is renowned for its high quality training for apprentices. The Gordon's facilities are second to none. With three purpose built unit kitchens and two restaurant style training kitchens, students are able to fine-tune their skills in a real-world environment. As an employer or a potential new apprentice, you are likely to have a number of questions about what is involved in a Commercial Cookery Apprenticeship - the following information attempts to answer some of those questions and provide you with useful information about the process at the Gordon Institute.
| Name of training course: | Certificate 3 in Hospitality (Commercial Cookery) - Apprenticeship |
| National Course Code: | THH31502 |
| Duration: | Three years |
| Location: | On-campus, City Campus, 2 Fenwick Street, Geelong |
Information for employers
- I want to start an Apprentice - how do I go about it?
- How long does it take to sign up a New Apprentice?
- What paperwork is involved?
- What is the structure of the course?
- When will my apprentice conduct their training?
- How much does the training cost?
- Who do I deal with at the Institute?
I want to start an Apprentice - how do I go about it?
- Choose your employee - it may be an existing employee or you may choose to start a new employee. NB If you choose to start an existing employee as an apprentice be aware that if the person has been employed by you for at least three months full time or at least 12 months as a part-time employee, you may not receive the State government fee subsidy for this employee and they may have to pay full fees each year.
- Contact a New Apprentice Centre to discuss a Training Contract. A Training Contract is a legal contract between you and your new apprentice to provide training in a specific course over a given period under certain conditions.
- The New Apprentice Centre will advise the Registered Training Organisation (RTO) that you have chosen to use them to train your New Apprentice.
- The RTO will contact you to organise your apprentice to commence training.
How long does it take to sign up a New Apprentice?
The entire process of agreeing with an employee to commence an apprenticeship, signing the Training Contract and registering your apprentice can occur in a matter of days. The employer then chooses a training organisation such as the Gordon Institute to provide the training.
What paperwork is involved?
Due to an apprenticeship being a legally binding activity and one which requires administrative control by the RTO there is some paperwork which needs to be completed before, during and after the training.
BEFORE: We will ask you and your apprentice to sign 3 copies of a Training Plan which sets out the content of the course, the start and finish dates and the method of training. You will also both be asked to sign the Confirmation Form which has the training dates on it. This indicates that the proposed study dates for each year are suitable for you and your apprentice and guarantees a place in those classes at the Institute. If no place is instantly available, we will endeavour to commence training by workbook or short-term allocation to a suitable group.
DURING: Each year, your apprentice and you will be sent a set of training dates which should be considered and approved by you both. The Confirmation Form should be signed and returned to the Institute promptly. A place cannot be guaranteed until the Form is returned. Your Apprentice's results are posted to you each year.
If your Apprentice leaves your employment, we ask that you advise us so we can give the place to another waiting Apprentice.
If your Apprentice should fall behind in their studies, it is the Apprentice's responsibility to make up time and finalise the work required to pass the subject/s. You can compare the Training Plan with the end-of-year results to see what subjects (if any) may have Not Yet been Completed (NYC).
You can access your Apprentice's results via the Internet.
AFTER: The Apprentice will, in theory, complete the training within the period of the training contract. If not, you may need to organise an extension to the final contract date.
When all subjects have been passed by the Apprentice, s/he will need to apply for their Award from the Institute. This is done on a very simple form but is an important part of the process because it finalises the contract and enables the employer to receive the completion incentive payment.
What is the structure of the course?
Each apprentice will spend the equivalent of seven weeks each year on-site at the Institute using the commercial kitchens, demonstration kitchens, libraries, training restaurants and training resources provided by the Gordon.
Each year level is divided into a number of modules that are designed to be sequential and cumulative. This means that foundation studies are taught in a logical sequence and basic modules are developed and enhanced as each block and year level progresses.
When will my apprentice conduct their training?
This is a decision made by the employer, in discussion with the Apprentice and the Gordon Institute. It may depend on what option best suits the business, how far the student has to travel, replacement staff considerations, busy periods and class availability.
We offer Day Release or Block Release classes. Day Release is only offered from the START of each calendar year. Block release groups, on the other hand, are "staggered" throughout the year so people can start at various times. There MAY be a short delay in the start of training.
If the employer selects DAY RELEASE, the apprentice attends the institute one day each week throughout school terms. A day of training is approximately 8am to 4pm. Day Release is run on a different day of the week for each different year level, for example first year apprentices in 2005 attended classes on Wednesdays. Apprentices cannot come on any different day to do their training.
BLOCK RELEASE is the alternative. Apprentices come to school for 2-3 weeks at a time, full time. There are three blocks of training each year spread across the calendar year. In each calendar year, an apprentice will attend the Institute for seven (7) weeks of training. Employers are obliged to pay apprentices wages for these days of training.
It is difficult to switch the training between Day Release and Block Release (or vice versa), especially if the student is not completing their academic year of study within the calendar year. Therefore it is important to ensure your apprentice is placed in the most appropriate group from the commencement of their training.
Each attendance style has the same content in the same sequence using the same facilities and similar qualified and experienced teaching staff.
How much does the training cost?
Technically it is the responsibility of the apprentice to cover the training costs. There are a number of special arrangements that employers can make with their apprentices if they wish. For example an employer may choose to pay the fees up front and collect the fees back from the apprentice's wages on a pay-cycle basis. Alternatively, you may decide to pay some or all of the fees for your apprentice.
2006 sees the introduction of revised TAFE fees and charges set by the State government. A Health Care Card (see Centrelink) gives a substantial discount on fees and a current Health Care Card must be provided at the time of enrolment.
The approximate fees for the Certificate 3 in Hospitality (Commercial Cookery) is $400 tuition contribution per annum plus any equipment, books, field trips, uniform/footwear, accommodation, transport etc. All fees are subject to change and are calculated at the time of enrolment. Most resources are available from the Institute bookshop at competitive prices.
Fees are payable during the first week of training. If fees are not paid, the Apprentice may be asked to leave the class until fees are paid. Cash payment is the usual method but invoices can be organised on request.
Payment plans can be organised with our Counselling Team so that a deposit can be made and the remaining payments can be spread over the following several months.
Who do I deal with at the Institute?
The School of Tourism, Hospitality and Cookery has an Apprenticeship and Traineeship Program Coordinator. The Coordinator looks after the administration of apprentice cooks and can assist employers with a wide range of information including administrative paperwork, some educational matters, training date arrangements, Apprenticeship contract cancellations, and alternative opportunities for assessment.
The Education Manager (Cookery) deals with all training and education issues including matters relating to Credit Transfer approvals, teaching issues, timetables and assessment and final sign off for Awards.
The Apprenticeship and Traineeship Program Coordinator can be contacted during business hours on (03) 5225 0549.
Authorised by the Victorian Government, Melbourne.