CESA publishes apprenticeship guide

The Catering Equipment Suppliers Association (CESA) has published an apprenticeship guide for employers.

The guide covers the catering equipment apprenticeship for service and installation engineers and gives employers step-by-step directions on setting up an apprenticeship programme.

John Whitehouse, chair of CESA, explained: "The guide is designed to encourage employers who are considering setting up an apprenticeship programme. The skills shortage is a huge issue for our industry, nowhere more so than in equipment servicing: we simply have to grow our workforce of skilled service and installation engineers. Apprenticeship programmes will help attract the newcomers we need into the industry."

The catering equipment apprenticeship for service and installation engineers is based on the EAL Level 3 NVQ extended diploma. This comprises several mandatory units but also offers optional units, allowing the employer to tailor the apprenticeship to their business' requirements.

The guide offers comprehensive advice, covering areas as diverse as setting up a programme, workplace requirements, the minimum wage and how to use the apprenticeship levy. It also gives links to other resources for more information about specific items.

"There are so many benefits for businesses to setting up an apprenticeship programme," says John. "Eighty-six per cent of employers with apprenticeship schemes say apprentices help to develop relevant skills for the organisation, and to fill the skills gap. They also say apprentices improve staff retention and staff morale. Plus there is funding available up to £9,000 per apprentice."

The CESA apprenticeship guide is available to download here.

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