Summary
This is a fantastic opportunity to join Registration Services as an Apprentice Catering Officer, where you’ll gain hands-on experience in a respectful, customer-facing environment, supporting catering operations for wakes and events at the Reception Suite and Café at Sandwell Valley Crematorium.
Wage
£14,526.20 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age
National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices
Training course
Production chef (level 2)
Hours
Mon-Fri (8.30am - 5.30pm) Some weekends.
37 hours a week
Start date
Saturday 1 November 2025
Duration
1 year
Positions available
1
Work
Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.
What you'll do at work
Working alongside experienced staff, you’ll learn to assist with food and drink preparation, provide great customer service, and support a high-quality catering service during a sensitive time for bereaved families.
As part of your apprenticeship, you’ll support the team by:
* Assisting with the preparation and serving of food and drinks for wakes and other functions
* Supporting day-to-day tasks in the Café and Reception suite under supervision
* Helping to maintain clean, hygienic, and welcoming facilities
* Learning how to prepare hot and cold beverages and light food items
* Helping with stock control, checking supplies, and keeping areas well organised
* Assisting with basic admin tasks such as taking messages, processing simple bookings, and updating records
* Providing polite, respectful service to members of the public, including bereaved families
* Attending training and learning about health and safety, food hygiene, and customer service standards
* Supporting the promotion of the catering service through events and activities as required
Where you'll work
Sandwell Valley Crematorium
Newton Road
West Bromwich
B71 3SX
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
HIT TRAINING LTD
Training course
Production chef (level 2)
What you'll learn
Course contents
* Prepare and cook pre-portioned fresh and frozen meat, fish, and poultry to business standards.
* Prepare and cook fresh and frozen fruit and vegetables to business standards.
* Prepare salad vegetables to business standards.
* Cook poached, simmered, steamed, boiled, braised, stewed, baked, grilled, and fried dishes.
* Regenerate dried and frozen ingredients and dishes.
* Undertake stock control, storage, and rotation.
* Communicate professionally with colleagues, line managers, stakeholders, and customers.
* Work as part of a team to support service delivery.
* Follow specifications to produce, portion, and present food.
* Manage own time to ensure allocated tasks are completed.
* Use techniques for maintaining good mental health and wellbeing to support self and others, including asking for and giving help with daily tasks.
* Use feedback to improve own performance.
* Prepare and close down an area for service.
* Use problem solving techniques to resolve routine and non-routine issues within scope of own role.
* Maintain prep and par levels according to business need.
* Clean and maintain manual and electrical food-preparation and cooking tools, equipment, and technology.
* Follow standard operating procedures to select and safely use appropriate knives and boards for the task, for example red handled knife and red board for raw meat.
* Monitor and record food temperatures and manage allergens during preparation, cooking, holding, and serving.
* Apply hygiene management techniques to maintain a safe clean work environment, for example COSHH, personal hygiene, and uniform.
* Reduce the waste of resources, acting to measure and reduce plate waste, exercise portion control, and maximise yield.
* Comply with health and safety legislation, regulations, guidelines and procedures, including stress management.
* Follow equity, diversity, and inclusion legislation and organisational policies.
* Deliver to key performance indicators to support the production, performance, and budget within own area of responsibility.
* Use manual and electrical food-preparation and cooking tools, equipment, machinery, and technology.
* Prepare and cook pre-portioned fresh and frozen meat, fish, and poultry to business standards.
* Prepare and cook fresh and frozen fruit and vegetables to business standards.
* Prepare salad vegetables to business standards.
* Cook poached, simmered, steamed, boiled, braised, stewed, baked, grilled, and fried dishes.
* Regenerate dried and frozen ingredients and dishes.
* Undertake stock control, storage, and rotation.
* Communicate professionally with colleagues, line managers, stakeholders, and customers.
* Work as part of a team to support service delivery.
* Follow specifications to produce, portion, and present food.
* Manage own time to ensure allocated tasks are completed.
* Use techniques for maintaining good mental health and wellbeing to support self and others, including asking for and giving help with daily tasks.
* Use feedback to improve own performance.
* Prepare and close down an area for service.
* Use problem solving techniques to resolve routine and non-routine issues within scope of own role.
* Maintain prep and par levels according to business need.
* Clean and maintain manual and electrical food-preparation and cooking tools, equipment, and technology.
* Follow standard operating procedures to select and safely use appropriate knives and boards for the task, for example red handled knife and red board for raw meat.
* Monitor and record food temperatures and manage allergens during preparation, cooking, holding, and serving.
* Apply hygiene management techniques to maintain a safe clean work environment, for example COSHH, personal hygiene, and uniform.
* Reduce the waste of resources, acting to measure and reduce plate waste, exercise portion control, and maximise yield.
* Comply with health and safety legislation, regulations, guidelines and procedures, including stress management.
* Follow equity, diversity, and inclusion legislation and organisational policies.
* Deliver to key performance indicators to support the production, performance, and budget within own area of responsibility.
* Use manual and electrical food-preparation and cooking tools, equipment, machinery, and technology.
Training schedule
At the end you will gain a Level 2 Production Chef Qualification and any Functional Skills as appropriate. The apprenticeship training will be delivered in the workplace, virtually and you will receive visits from a college assessor.
The apprenticeship will also include a proportion of 20% Off The Job Training and a robust programme of Mandatory Apprentice Training provided by Sandwell Council to include Workplace Professionalism and Equality & Diversity.
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
* English (grade 9-4/A-C)
* Maths (grade 9-3/A-D)
Other in:
* English (grade Level 2)
* Maths (grade Level 1)
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
* Communication skills
* IT skills
* Attention to detail
* Organisation skills
* Customer care skills
* Problem solving skills
* Presentation skills
* Administrative skills
* Number skills
* Team working
* Initiative
* Non judgemental
* Patience
* Wear PPE
* Empathy & Sympathy
* Flexible
Other requirements
This role is ideal for someone confident, friendly, and willing to learn by shadowing senior staff and attending relevant training. You must be aged 18+ due to the sale of alcohol and be able to wear a uniform and any necessary protective equipment. A mature and professional attitude is essential, along with an empathetic and sympathetic disposition. You’ll need to be flexible to work on a rota, follow food hygiene and infection control procedures, and be physically fit, as the role involves some lifting and handling of stock.