HANDS-ON CHEFS: Like celebrity chef Jamie Oliver's venture to give unemployed young people the chance to learn how to cook and run a restaurant, Cumbrian apprentices are also getting valuable hands-on experience of the catering industry.

Cumbria Tourist Board's chef apprenticeship is for people aged 16 to 23 with a passion for food, who may not have otherwise had the opportunity to carve out a career for themselves.

The apprenticeships run for 15 months, with the trainee chefs rotating every five months to a new work placement.

The students are learning with Kendal College, Furness College and the Hotel and Catering Training Company, funded by the Learning and Skills Council Cumbria.

The young trainee chefs spend time at college learning practical cooking and kitchen skills, and their progress is assessed while they are on the job at top hotels such as Windermere's Miller Howe, Crook's Wild Boar, Grasmere's Rothay Garden, and the Lakeside Hotel.

COURSES FOR ALL: The psychology of murder, interior design or Indian head massage whatever your interests, Carlisle College claims to have it covered over the next few months. In its part-time prospectus for the early part of 2003, the college outlines a wide range of subjects plus access to higher education courses.

Included for the first time is a Foundation of Advanced Maths course, which provides a basis for Level 3 Maths and which can lead to A Level, Engineering, or Science.

The college's business subsidiary, Pro-Act, (tel: 01228 822 722) is also offering training to employers in Cumbria, enabling employees to update skills without being away from their desks for too long. For details of all courses call 01228 822 703.

LEARNING CENTRE: A disused supermarket has been transformed into a new state-of-the-art learning centre geared up for business. The new 30computer Learning Centre in Heysham, part of Lancaster and Morecambe College, will offer local people a range of courses to help them develop their IT skills. The Learning and Skills Council, Lancashire, has also awarded the college £26,000 to run a 12-month pilot scheme, Advice and Guidance, outlining new opportunities.

January 16, 2003 12:00