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Sous Chef Apprenticeship

What work does a Sous Chef do?

Sous Chef literally translates as ‘Under Chef’. This means that they are second in command in a kitchen to the Head Chef. A Sous chef will usually be more hands on than a Head chef will be and will also be the person to fill in when the Head chef is off.

The Sous chef will be answerable to the Head chef but will also have a degree of authority over the other kitchen staff and will command a similar level of respect as that of the Head chef. Sous chefs may be tasked with organising staff rotas or developing the menu. Overseeing that food is of the highest standard before being sent out to the customer is also a common task.

What skills and qualities are needed to work as a Sous Chef?

As Sous chefs will already have a good deal of experience in the fundamentals of the profession, the focus of this Level 8 apprenticeship is that the applicant should further develop a range of skills and qualities in relation to four key areas of the profession, namely-

- Culinary (a specialised knowledge across a broad range of disciplines)

- Food safety (Apply all procedures to ensure everything is in line with food safety legislation)

- People (Train, mentor and manage team members and communicate with customers and other bodies)

- Business (manage the financial side of the kitchen to ensure profitability in line with overall business strategy)

Where will I be based for my Apprenticeship?

Apprenticeships are a combination of on-the-job training and off-the-job training. The apprenticeship is a two-year programme-

Year 1 involves two 1-week blocks followed by 4 days per week of on-the-job training, with the other day spent off-the-job in the training institution.

Year 2 is 4 days per week of on-the-job training, and 1 day per week off-the-job.

The Sous chef apprenticeship is two years in duration and when completed the apprentice will have a Level 8 Bachelor of Arts Honours in Culinary Arts. This apprenticeship is managed by the Restaurants Association of Ireland and IT Tralee.

Your local ETB may have information on employers looking for apprentices. The training is run by the following institutions:

What is the Pay/Job market like?

As an apprentice, you earn while you learn and the rate of pay is agreed between you and your employer. For the college training element of the apprenticeship a student contribution of €750 is required in both years, €1,500 in total, which is paid directly to the institution involved.

Qualified Sous Chef salaries can range between €34k - €50k per year depending on experience and the career has been identified as a Job in Demand according to the latest National Skills Bulletin.

How do I secure an Apprenticeship contract?

The minimum entry requirements for the Sous chef apprenticeship is a Level 7 Ordinary Degree in Culinary Arts or equivalent qualification

Relevant industry experience which will be assessed by MTU Kerry. Any Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) will be dealt with on an individual basis once a student is registered.

Explore our Live apprenticeship area to find out what other employers are actively looking for apprentices.

Where can I get more information?

More information can be found on the Sous Chef apprenticeship and career pages or on this brochure. You can also find out more information on this dedicated website.

You may also like to explore our Food and Beverages, and Tourism & Hospitality Career Sectors for much more information. You can read some related stories or search our CourseFinder using the Apprenticeship filter.

The Irish Hotel Federation held a virtual open day for the three National Culinary Apprenticeships. Watch the full video below.