Before applying to this apprenticeship, please check that you meet all entry requirements. 

The minimum age at which the employment of an apprentice may commence is 16 years of age.

The minimum education qualifications are:

A pass in the Leaving Certificate or equivalent examinations, obtaining a minimum grade O6/H7 in English, and O6/H7 in four other subjects,

or

A full QQI FET level 5 Award,

or

Relevant industry experience – Assessment of industry experience is by application to MTU Kerry. Recognition of Prior Learning is dealt with on an individual basis once a student has registered,

or

If you are employed as a chef and/or hold previous qualifications you may be eligible for advanced entry into year 2 or 3 of the programme.

In advance of completing an application for the Chef de Partie Apprenticeship it is important to understand the commitment you will need to provide to this programme.

The programme lasts for a duration of 4 Years – 8 Semesters. Delivery is based on a 12-week semester and it will be as follows: Semester 1 will be September to December and Semester 2 will be January to May.

Title	Credits
Semester: 1
Fundamental Culinary Skills	10
Fundamentals of Patisserie	5
Learning at Third Level	5
Introduction to Food Safety and Culinary Science	5
Information Technology	5
Semester: 2
Culinary Skills Development	10
Developing Patisserie Skills	5
Intro Food & Beverage Service	5
Nutrition and Diet	5
Workplace Communication	5

 

Title	Credits
Semester: 3
Planning a Culinary Event	10
Plated Desserts	5
Classical Cuisine	5
Exploring Food	5
Applied Food and Beverage Costing	5
Semester: 4
Apprentice Led Culinary Event	10
Creative Plated Desserts	5
Principles of Garde Manger	5
Contemporary Cuisine	5
Applied Food Safety Management	5

 

Title	Credits
Semester: 5
Classical Culinary Practice	5
Applied Culinary Management	10
Semester: 6
Advanced Pastry Arts	5
Food Photography and Social Media	5
Food Product Innovation	5
Semester: 7
Advanced Pastry Art and Design	5
Food Product Development with Enterprise	10
Semester: 8
Contemporary Garde Manger	5
Food Studies and Applied Research for Industry	10

 

The training is provided by the following institutions:

• MTU Kerry
• MTU-Cork Institute of Technology
• SETU- Waterford Institute of Technology
• TU Dublin - Tallaght
• Dundalk Institute of Technology
• ATU - Letterkenny (Letterkenny Institute of Technology)
• ATU Galway City (Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology)
• TUS Moylish Campus (Limerick Institute of Technology)
• TUS): Midlands Midwest (Athlone Campus) Athlone Institute of Technology

 

The Chef de Partie will have the knowledge, skills and competence in a broad range of varied and complex function areas and tasks. She/he is highly skilled in managing a station in the kitchen, carrying out advanced culinary tasks/ responsibilities which include Food Production, Cooking, HACCP, Costing, Menu Design and Development etc.) and working autonomously at this level. S/he will be capable of supervising and managing a small team of demi & commis chefs, and of undertaking additional tasks as deemed appropriate by their senior chef/business manager.

Knowledge

Culinary: 

• Demonstrate a specialised knowledge of the theory relating to culinary arts across a broad range of disciplines.
• Identify factors which influence the development of dishes and menus taking into account global trends, customer preferences, use of seasonal and local produce.
• Establish the use of technology to support the development and production of dishes and menu items in the work place.
• Understand the principles of food preparation and cooking; traditional and modern cuisine; taste; allergens; diet and nutrition to produce dishes and menu items that meet business and customer requirements.
• Understand the preparation, cooking and finishing methods used to produce advanced dishes.
• Identify how to maximise yield and quality, and minimise wastage of ingredients and other resources.
• Know the role of gastronomy and appreciate the historical and contemporary influences on culinary arts.

Food Safety:

• Understand the food safety practices and procedures to ensure the safe preparation and cooking of food in line with food safety legislation.
• Comply and enforce in-house HACCP procedures.

People: 

• Know how to instruct, coach and motivate others in a constructive manner to deliver high quality dishes and menu items.
• Understand the role and importance of both back and front of house team-working has to play in delivering a quality product and service.
• Understand the fundamentals of cultural diversity in the work place.
• Understand the principles of training and development to maximise the performance of the entire team.

Business: 

• Identify how the business strategy, customer profile, culture and constraints influence the development of creative, profitable and competitive menus.
• Understand the principles of profit and loss, and support the overall financial performance of the business through operating efficiently to reduce wastage and deliver profit margins.
• Understand the principles of supply chain management, sustainable procurement and working practices in the kitchen.
• Recognise and understand legislative responsibilities and the importance of protecting peoples’ health, safety and security.
• Know the principles of risk assessment and how to identify, plan for and minimise risks to the service and operation.

Skills

Culinary: 

• Apply principles of food and beverage cost and quality control within the context of best practice in terms of health and safety at work, food safety and general work practices.
• Demonstrate a range of advanced craft preparation and cooking skills and techniques to develop and produce quality dishes and menu items in line with business requirements.
• Contribute to reviewing and refreshing menus and dishes.
• Develop and use effective plans which reflect the most appropriate methods for maximising yield and minimising waste when producing quality dishes and menu items in line with business requirements.
• Work autonomously and methodically handling many tasks at once, directing others as appropriate, and ensuring they are completed at the right moment and to the required standard.

Food Safety:

• Prepare, cook and present food to agreed food safety practices and guidelines, with food safety management procedures followed and recorde.
• Ensure ingredients are stored, prepared, cooked and presented to deliver a quality product that is safe for the consumer.

People:

• Know how to instruct, coach and motivate others to produce high quality dishes and menu items.
• Maintain harmony across the team and with colleagues in other parts of the organisation, identifying and dealing with problems constructively.
• Use effective methods of communication and operate in a fair and empathic manner.
• Actively develop own skills and knowledge, and those of the team, through training and experience.

Business:

• Contribute to the costing of dishes, monitor the use of ingredients and other resources, yield, wastage and portion sizes to control costs. Use sustainable working practices and encourage and support others to do the same.
• Risk-assess situations, identifying and isolating matters of concern, by establishing the cause and intervening accordingly to minimise any risk to people and comply with legislation.

A Chef de Partie is trained to:

• Deliver advanced culinary skills in a professional kitchen;
• Supervise a particular area or station within the kitchen;
• Work on their own as well as train Commis Chefs

The Chef de Partie Apprenticeship programme is designed to expose you to a wide range of culinary skills and ideas and allows you to not only learn how to do something, but understand why it is done a certain way.

On successful completion of the Chef De Partie Apprenticeship Programme the Apprentice will receive a Level 7 – Bachelor of Art in Culinary Arts. Apprentices who successfully complete the Chef De Partie Apprenticeship Programme will be eligible to apply to progress to the Sous Chef Apprenticeship at Level 8.

This programme is designed by industry and academic professionals so you will learn the skills, knowledge and behaviours necessary for a successful career that will take you anywhere in the world.

This apprenticeship opens doors to career progression from Chef de Partie to Sous Chef and Head Chef.

Munster Technological University Apprentices who successfully complete the Chef De Partie Apprenticeship Programme will be eligible to progress to the Sous Chef Apprenticeship at Level 8.

To become an apprentice in Ireland you must be hired by an employer. Apprenticeship employers are formally approved by SOLAS in advance of employing apprentices. Apprentices get a formal contract of employment as part of their apprenticeship.

This apprenticeship is managed by the Restaurants Association of Ireland and MTU Kerry. If you are interested in a chef de partie apprenticeship you should contact MTU Kerry via the contact details below.

To find an apprenticeship, you can search apprenticeship vacancies and a list of currently approved apprentice employers on the Apprenticeship Jobs & Employers Portal. You can search for vacancies by location, and employers in each apprenticeship.

Use this link to explore a list of Approved Employers by Region and by Apprenticeship type.

Full eligibility criteria for this apprenticeship are available in the Chef de Partie Apprenticeship brochure

Further information is also available from the industry lead for this apprenticeship:

Niamh O'Malley, Training Administrator
Restaurants Association of Ireland
Tel: + 353 (0) 1 6779901
E mail:  [email protected]

Amy Sweetman, Membership Services and Public Affairs
Restaurants Association of Ireland 
Tel: + 353 (0) 1 6779901
E mail:  [email protected]

T.J. O'Connor, Senior Lecturer Hotel, Culinary Arts and Training Department
MTU Kerry
Tel: + 353 (0) 66 7191807
E mail:  [email protected]tralee.ie

Dr. Tony Johnston, Head of Department, Hospitality, Tourism & Leisure
Athlone IT
Tel: +353 90 647 1894
Email: [email protected]

Ms Geraldine McCarthy, Department Secretary, Department of Tourism & Hospitality
Cork IT
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 021 4335820

Jacinta Dalton, Acting Head of School, Galway International Hotel School
Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology
Email:[email protected]
Tel: +353 (0)91 74 2320

Nuala McLoughlin, Advisor – Employment Matters
Irish Hotel Federation
Email:[email protected]
Tel: 01 4976459 / 087 6200785

Tina Maree, National Executive Officer
Irish Hospitality Institute
Email:[email protected]
Tel: 01-6624790

Ciarán ÓhAnnracháin, Head of Department of Hospitality, Tourism & Culinary Arts
Letterkenny IT (Killybegs)
Email:[email protected]
Tel: 074 918 6603

Joe Mulcahy, Course Director, Culinary Arts
Limerick IT
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 061-293405

Finding an employer and securing your apprenticeship

Finding an employer or registering your interest with an official Coordinating Provider is one of the first things you need to do to start an apprenticeship.

Opportunities for this apprenticeship may be available from the following organisations:

• Restaurants Association

Online Jobsites

Here are some direct links to employment websites that frequently list apprenticeship vacancies.

Note: These websites may include vacancies that are not QQI accredited Apprenticeships.

As an apprentice, you earn while you learn. The employer pays you a salary while you are being trained on-the-job and off-the-job. The rate of pay is agreed between you and your employer