We missed trying the grub, but on Wednesday this week, some of London’s fine apprentice’s from Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen Restaurant could be found selling ‘credit crunch brunches’ on Carnaby Street as part of an Alan Sugar style challenge. Inspired by Apprenticeship Week the young chef’s had a £50 budget to turn into the largest possible profit.
Old Street’s Fifteen apprentice scheme has been turning young Londoners into chef’s for five years, and just received additional funding from the Learning and Skills Council. Paul Lacey, who’s 22 and a current Fifteen apprentice said: “It’s going to be brilliant. We’ve already got an amazing opportunity here at Fifteen. We are already on the best chef apprenticeship programme, working with the best produce and the best training chefs and now we’ll have the best environment, with the best equipment to match too.”
Traditionally apprenticeships in London have been relatively scarce, but the number of young people and adults embarking on one in 2008 increased by 30% to 14,500. Making sure London continues to be a city in which young people can get on the career ladder.
