Catering and hospitality foundation apprenticeship

Introduction

Foundation apprenticeships are employed positions and are for younger people who will benefit from a wide range of experiences.  Each foundation apprenticeship provides a mix of employability skills and behaviours, technical knowledge and skills, and associated English and maths. It combines valuable hands-on practice in the workplace with off-the-job learning. The apprentice’s experiences will not only help them to grow their skills but will also help to inform their next career steps. Completion of this foundation apprenticeship will certify achievement of all of the technical knowledge and skills, together with all of the employability skills and behaviours described. The typical progression routes will likely include employment or progression onto another skills product such as a level 2 or level 3 apprenticeship.  

Foundation apprenticeships benefit employers as they get to see the apprentice in work-based settings while the apprentice receives extra support. Employers also benefit from accessing a broader talent pool of young learners than they might otherwise do.

Under DfE Apprenticeship funding Rules 25/26 the employer qualifies for up to £2,000 per foundation apprentice, subject to retention and progression.

Overview of the role

Catering and Hospitality assistants work in a range of hospitality settings, for example in hotels, holiday parks, restaurants, cafes, schools, hospitals and many other places where catering and hospitality takes place.
 
The broad purpose is to provide high quality hospitality services to customers. Daily duties will vary dependent on where they work and whether their work is focused on catering or food and beverage service.

This Foundation apprenticeship requires a minimum 187 hours off-the-job learning. Upon successful completion, the apprentice will be competent in the knowledge, skills and behaviours outlined in this standard. Someone who completes some or all of this content will be part-way through a journey to a more specialist occupation. Taking another apprenticeship after this one is one way of progressing. More information about the main occupations involved can be found via the links below.

Typical job titles include:

Entry requirements

The apprentice must normally be age 16 to 21 at the start of their apprenticeship. Exceptions to this are set out in the Department for Education Apprenticeship funding rules.

Information for providers

Coverage of each knowledge and skill statement must include each and every occupation it is mapped to, unless expressly stated otherwise. For instance, if skill S1 is mapped to occupation 1 and occupation 2, then the range of coverage must include elements of both 1 and 2 so the apprentice benefits from a broad experience. Competence is to the level described by this Foundation apprenticeship’s knowledge and skills and not the often higher level of the mapped occupations. Coverage will be a blend of on and off the job learning. Please refer to the Knowledge and skills coverage document.

Technical knowledge

Technical skills

Employability skills and behaviours

English and maths

Functional English and maths

(*) Knowledge and skills statements which offer opportunities to develop functional English and maths are identified with an asterisk.

These are knowledge or skills statements which provide a learner with an opportunity to utilise English and maths in a workplace. This could include reading instructions, measuring or recording information.

English and maths qualifications

Apprentices must follow the English and maths formal qualification requirements as set out in the Department for Education Apprenticeship funding rules.

Mandatory qualifications or licence to practice

There are no mandatory qualifications or license to practice requirements for this occupation.

Assessment details

This assessment plan sets out the requirements for the assessment of the level 2 Catering and Hospitality Foundation apprenticeship. The assessment outcomes group and summarise the knowledge and skills that must be demonstrated in assessments and are of equal weighting. The Assessment Organisation (AO) must ensure that all assessment outcomes are met.

It is important that the assessment of foundation apprentices is proportionate and supports the swift progression of learners onto their next destination, whether that be a further apprenticeship, entering the workplace, or another programme of study. As such, AOs must design assessments to ensure there is no unnecessary delay in the progression of learners.

This assessment plan does not prescribe when assessment takes place. Apprentices may be assessed at appropriate points (or milestones) throughout their Foundation apprenticeship. 

This assessment plan does not prescribe assessment methods, but does require: 

• a knowledge test
• a practical assessment

The practical assessment must give the foundation apprentice the opportunity to demonstrate the practical application of the knowledge and skills they have acquired over the course of their training. This may take many forms, including (but not limited to) observation, undertaking a set task in a simulated environment, direct assessment of materials generated during their training, projects, presentations, compiling a portfolio of evidence. 

The AO must set Foundation Apprenticeship assessments. The AO may design the assessment to permit a centre to mark the assessment(s). The AO is responsible for ensuring all assessments are sufficiently reliable and valid, and the accuracy of any centre marking. AOs are permitted to sample within knowledge and skills statements, and evidence can be drawn from one or more occupations.

Assessment outcomes

(*) English and maths are important to Foundation Apprenticeships. Knowledge and skills statements which offer opportunities to develop functional English and maths are identified with an asterisk. Please see the occupational standard for further details.

Performance descriptor

The performance descriptor for a Pass is:

Foundation apprentices must demonstrate the requirements, as set out in the occupational standard:

• Reliably
• Effectively
• To an appropriate degree for the level of the standard

Overall performance across the range of requirements for the foundation apprenticeship assessment is secure.

Assessment requirements

Access to work: Legislation, regulations and policies in a catering and hospitality setting

AO1: Health, safety, compliance and inclusion

Access to work knowledge and skills are fundamental to employment in occupations related to this Foundation Apprenticeship. These knowledge and skills are mapped to AO1. Where acquiring these knowledge and skills is required to access the workplace, this assessment should happen early in the programme.

The assessment of knowledge in AO1 must be AO set and marked. This may be in a single assessment or more than one assessment, providing there is no duplication of content. Digital assessment methods should be prioritised, where appropriate.

Technical knowledge and skills

AO2: Catering skills

AO3: Customer experience and communication

Technical knowledge and skills are areas of technical ability in related occupations. These knowledge and skills are mapped to AO2 and AO3. 

AO2 describes those knowledge and skills essential to delivering sustainable catering services in line with business standards. AO3 describes those knowledge and skills specifically associated with serving food and beverages and maintaining a positive customer experience.

The AO must ensure that a foundation apprentice is assessed on AO2 and AO3. This may be in a single assessment or more than one assessment, providing there is no duplication of content.

Employability skills and behaviours

Employability skills and behaviours are highly transferable and universal across Foundation Apprenticeships. They support work-readiness.  Employability Skills and Behaviour (EB) statements are not formally assessed. However, AOs must confirm with employers that they have been suitably demonstrated over the course of the Foundation Apprenticeship before awarding the Foundation Apprenticeship. EB6 does not need to be confirmed by the employer but should form a key element of the apprentice’s off-the-job training package.