How did you get into your apprenticeship?
My name is Holly Tyldsley, I’m from Newcastle upon Tyne and I’m 25 years old. I have been working for Young's for just over two years now. I moved down to London to go to university and complete a degree in art and design. After university I found myself working in pubs; I then started working in kitchens to help the team out and absolutely loved it. Through the industry I found out that Young's offered an amazing apprenticeship programme to their chefs and it was an opportunity that I just had to jump at.
What were your initial thoughts on starting the apprenticeship?
When first being told about the apprenticeship programme I wasn’t sure what to expect, however after going through the foundation degree process at college and then university, I thought that it was something I could achieve. Having struggled with school when I was younger because of dyslexia and dyspraxia there was some slight apprehension on my part, but this was quickly put to rest when starting the apprenticeship programme.
What are the benefits of your apprenticeship?
The programme that is offered through Young's is like nothing I have seen in a company of this size before, the scheme is not only engaging and very relatable to the work that you are doing but it is also fun and very enjoyable. The course offers all of the base knowledge that you need for not only your career but it gave me the confidence I needed within my job, which I was lacking when starting at the company.
How have you progressed through your apprenticeship and where do you see yourself in the future?
When I first started with the company I was employed as a Chef de Partie in a pub in Esher, through my work on the programme I was then able to go for a promotion to Sous Chef in which I was successful. I now help my head chef run the kitchen, contribute to menu development and help to train and develop our colleagues. I then worked my way through the programme which was difficult at times but very achievable, to then graduate with a distinction. Now that I have finished the course I feel confident and very able to go forward and take on my own kitchen. In the next 10 years, I want to be a head chef for Young’s and then eventually I would like to become part of the apprenticeship team and help with putting people through the same programme that quite honestly changed my life.
How would you sum up the Young's apprenticeship programme?
The Young's apprenticeship is very valid and gives you an extremely useful set of skills for anyone who is looking to pursue a career in the kitchen. It is not just about learning the cooking skills that you will need in your career but you also learn a lot about the management side of the course where you are looking at costs of dishes, maintaining and achieving your GP and working to a budget. There is also a huge focus on seasonality within the UK that Young's holds as one of there key values. Not only that but there is a huge social element to it as well, you will meet so many new people within the company and build your own little network. I could not recommend the programme more.
For more information on careers at Young's visit https://www.youngsrecruitment.co.uk/.