Parents Perspective – An Apprenticeship over University?

Like most teenagers, our son Connor was not sure what career path he wanted to take. Wanting to find out more about his options, Connor attended a school careers event when he was 13. Connor enjoyed cooking - partly inspired by a plethora of chefs on TV - and was thrilled to learn at the event that he could start a Young Apprenticeship in Professional Cookery.

At the time some of Connor’s classmates and even some of our friends were surprised by his decision to take up the offer. We think what surprised some people the most was that we supported him 100%. We simply trusted Connor’s judgment – but of course we carried out the due diligence. HTP Training, the organisation carrying out the apprenticeship training, met with us on several occasions to brief us on what Connor’s two year programme would include.

In September 2010, Connor began his apprenticeship with HTP at the prestigious Royal Hotel on the Isle of Wight under Head Chef Alan Staley’s excellent tutelage. Connor, being very hands on really enjoyed the apprenticeship. Two years into it, Connor was keen to find out how a Michelin star kitchen worked and wrote to chef Tom Kerridge. Kerridge invited Connor to ‘The Hand & Flowers’, a two star Michelin gastro pub in Marlow and later offered to take on Connor as his apprentice.

Fast forward to the present day and Connor, who is 16, is preparing to leave home in the next few weeks to start his new position and kick off Level 3 of the apprenticeship. Of course we are going to miss him immensely but we can’t help but feel enormously proud of him. We only need to look at some of his friends and their parents who are today anxious about university debt and future job prospects and be thankful that Connor chose an apprenticeship and didn’t blindly follow convention. READ MORE