People 1st nominated for national award

The charity has been shortlisted in the education and training category for its Professional Cookery Diploma – a brand new national chef qualification designed to significantly improve the overall skills and employability of learners, revolutionising catering education and the skills and competence of young chefs leaving college. People 1st developed the qualification after its research found that college leavers were entering the workplace only to require retraining by their employers. Based on extensive research with hospitality employers, the Professional Cookery Diploma is a much more practical qualification, with all learners following the same curriculum and gaining a basic grounding in cookery techniques. For the first time in over a decade, colleges are screening learners during application to ensure they have the right personal skills, motivation, commitment, and all round ability to successfully complete the new qualification. The Professional Cookery Diploma is currently delivered by 54 colleges, with 90 percent of learners completing the course. Some colleges have even reported that all (100 percent) of their Diploma graduates who undertook work placements have consequently received permanent jobs. Feedback from centres and employers has been extremely positive, with reports that students are finding the course both rewarding and challenging. Phil Raynsford, strategic development director for People 1st, commented: "The Professional Cookery Diploma is the most important development in chef training for over a decade, and the industry's feedback on the quality of the programme's graduates has been fantastic. "We have not only changed the education system to benefit tens of thousands of young learners and make huge savings for industry on retraining costs, but also persuaded the Government to change its funding policy to better benefit the hospitality sector. "We are delighted that the effort and commitment that has been put into the development of the Diploma has been recognised through this award nomination, and look forward to learning the results on 10 June." People 1st is hoping to pick up the coveted education and training award at a star-studded awards ceremony in London on 10th June hosted by comedienne Jo Brand.