Smyth was just 16 years old when he enrolled for the Apprenticeship in NVQ Diploma Level 2 Professional Cookery with 150 other students. Just 50 students were selected to compete for this award, narrowing down to just 10.
The two year course was completed by Smyth in just l8 months. Students were judged on the following: how much work they put into the course, their progression, time management, challenges faced along the way, consistency of assessments and whether they passed all the exams which formed part of the technical certificate.
Smyth commented: “I can’t tell you how great it felt to be told I’d won the award - I still can’t quite believe it. I love cooking and 7 Day Catering has supported and given me the confidence to continue to live my dream. I’d now like to move onto the NVQ Diploma in Hospitality Supervision and Team leading Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship and plan to work hard to ensure I’m ready for the National Apprenticeship Awards next year.”
Tony Jordan, lead trainer for hospitality and catering work Based learning, Leicester College added: “When James joined the course at just 16, the DHL contract was with another caterer. At that time, he was a shy young man lacking in confidence, but he soon started to grow into his own and producefood of a very high standard. It wasn’t long before DHL were commenting on the quality of his dishes and his customer service skills.”
Lindsey Buckley, human resources director, 7 Day Catering concluded: “We’re all very proud of James. He’s worked exceptionally hard for both his diploma and for our client, DHL. James has the makings of a great chef and we are committed to supporting and nurturing him on his journey to doing just that.”