Restaurant & Catering Australia (R&CA) has announced details of its upcoming fast-track cooks pilot program to encourage more young people to become cooks and pursue a long-term career within the hospitality sector.

As part of the program, apprentices will be able to enrol in the Cookery Fast Track Program for free and become qualified cooks in half the normal time period it takes to complete an apprenticeship.

The program consists of 10 weeks of formal face-to-face training in Commercial Cookery followed by two years of paid work as an apprentice with selected employers.

Throughout the program, participants will also benefit from access to R&CA’s Industry Mentors provided through the Industry Specialist Mentoring for Australian Apprentices (ISMAA) program to help guide them through their apprenticeship.

Fast-tracked Cooks Pilot Program

R&CA CEO Juliana Payne encourages young people with aspirations of ever becoming a cook or chef to apply for R&CA’s Fast Track Program.

“This program represents a fantastic opportunity for all those young people to launch their careers in hospitality and pursue their passion for cooking,” she says.

“The high-skilled, locally trained chefs and cooks among the café and restaurant sector is showing no signs of slowing down and R&CA’s Fast Track Program is just one way of helping to fill this vacuum.”