Archerfield and SDS Cook Up Careers For Young People
It was a visit to an SDS career adviser in Musselburgh to talk about school enrolment that led to Stanislav Vasilev, a young Bulgarian immigrant, finding his dream job.
He had decided to stay on at school for a time to help improve his English and enhance his network of friends and acquaintances. As part of the drive to settle in his new country, Stanislav also got a small part-time job working in a kitchen, and that’s when his new-found passion for catering was ignited.
On realising he’d had enough of school, Stanislav decided he wanted to become a chef, but didn’t know the best way to go about it. It was then that SDS adviser Emma Veitch introduced the idea of working, learning and earning with an apprenticeship.
"Being relatively new to the country, Stanislav had no idea what being an apprentice entailed and offered, or the scale, breadth and success of apprenticeships in Scotland," explained Emma.
On being told there was an apprentice chef opportunity at Archerfield in East Lothian, Stanislav still remained unsure, primarily because he knew nothing about the luxury golf facility, but also because he'd been offered a full time kitchen job where he worked at the time.
This really is a dream job for me.......(which) would not have happened without the help of SDS and the amazing apprenticeship opportunities in Scotland.
Stanislav Vasilev
So Emma had an idea. “As well as walking Stanislav through all the benefits of apprenticeships, I persuaded the school guidance teacher to take him to meet the head chef at Archerfield itself. And they must have both been impressed with each other. The very next day he signed up, and is now enjoying being an apprentice chef at one of the most highly regarded golf and leisure destinations in the country.”
Stanislav said: “This really is a dream job for me. I would never have believed that just over a year after relocating to Scotland, I would not only find a new personal passion for cooking, but I would be able to make a career out of it, and a career working at such a prestigious place. This would not have happened without the help of SDS and the amazing apprenticeship opportunities in Scotland.”
Six aspiring young chefs are currently embarking on Modern Apprenticeships with Archerfield in a programme spearheaded by executive chef Joe Queen. They are learning all aspects of the kitchen in a new state-of-the-art training facility at their East Lothian estate. On completion of the two-year apprenticeship, chefs will be guaranteed a position within the Caledonian Heritable Group.
Apprenticeships not only help our young people, and our business on a day-to-day basis, but they also offer a fantastic and added value way to build the next generation of talent.
Joe Queen
Executive Chef, Archerfield
Queen, a past-president of the Federation of Chefs Scotland, said: “We are offering a great opportunity for young people to experience all aspects of the kitchen. Archerfield is so diverse – from banqueting and fine dining to barbecues and The Clubhouse – so they’ll get all-round experience and learn a lot from me and the team here.
“Apprenticeships not only help our young people, and our business on a day-to-day basis, but they also offer a fantastic and added value way to build the next generation of talent.”
To make an appointment with a careers adviser in East Lothian phone 0800 917 8000.