Back in 2018, a trailblazer group made up of ceda Members started to develop a standard for a Service Engineer apprenticeship. In 2019 the apprenticeship standard was approved and East Cheshire Training and Assessment Centre (ECTA) agreed to deliver it. In early 2020, after years in the planning, the first cohort of 16 apprentices started the Commercial Catering Equipment Technicians Apprenticeship Standard programme, just one month before the first COVID-19 lockdown was imposed!

Until now, those taking part in the programme have been required to attend the ECTA training centre in Stockport in the North West. For those at the opposite end of the country, this has proved a barrier to the course. Fast-forward three years and ceda is about to launch its fourth wave of apprentices with ECTA and also its first with training provider, North East Surrey College of Technology (NESCOT).

Peter Kay, ceda’s Technical Support Advisor explains, “ceda has been working hard for some time to find a training provider in the South East to deliver the apprenticeship standard. There are a large number of service companies in the Greater London area that we want to reach and so it was imperative that we found a partner in this part of the country. We’re delighted to be working with NESCOT and hope together we can train the catering engineers of the future.”

NESCOT Director of Faculty, David Lewin, said, “We are excited to be working with ceda on this apprenticeship standard. NESCOT has a long tradition of training apprentices for the gas and electrical sectors so we believe we have all the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver a programme that meets the needs of employers and equips their apprentices for a long career in the catering equipment sector.”

The Commercial Catering Equipment Technicians Apprenticeship Standard trains technicians to install, maintain and repair catering equipment. It covers training in:

• Gas – including ACS CCCN1, ComCats 1, 3, 5 and change over to LPG
• Electrical competence to work safely
• Basic plumbing
• Regulations and H&S issues
• Fault-finding procedures

The preference is to deliver the course on a day release basis at the NESCOT training centre in Epsom, however a block release basis of 1 week in college every 8 weeks will be considered if preferred by employers..

The Apprenticeship is open to all. You do not need to be a ceda Member company employee to take part.

NESCOT is keen to start a cohort in April 2023, subject to demand*.

*(A minimum of 16 apprenticeship places need to be taken up for the course to be viable).

If you are interested in taking part or want to learn more please email dlewin@nescot.ac.uk at NESCOT or peterkay@ceda.co.uk at ceda. Alternatively, you can visit the NESCOT website for full course information and register your interest.