Fish and chip shop owners across the UK are being encouraged to reap the rewards of fish frying apprenticeships as two new training providers are announced in England and North Wales. 

With every part of the UK now catered for, Seafish, the public body which supports the £10bn UK seafood industry, says now is the time for business owners to find out how taking on an apprentice could benefit their bottom line.

Fish Frier Apprenticeships are now available from five training providers across the UK, and could benefit both new and existing employees of fish and chip businesses.

As well as equipping people with the knowledge and skills to become excellent fish friers, apprenticeships are also available for other roles within a business, such as front of house and management.

One fish and chip business that has already taken advantage of the benefits that apprenticeships can offer is National Fish & Chip Awards 2018 winner, Harbourside, in Plymouth. 

Owner of the Harbourside, Sarah Lock, said: “We’ve found apprenticeships to be extremely beneficial to our business, producing highly-skilled, motivated individuals looking to carve out a career in the fish and chip industry. In addition to fish friers, we’ve also had apprentices undertake front-of-house and management training.

“Currently, we have two former apprentices working across our shops. We always try and keep them once they finish their training as we know just how strong a skillset they develop.

“We really could not recommend apprenticeships enough when it comes to providing quality food and a top tier customer experience.”  

Lee Cooper, Seafish National Learning and Standards Manager, said: “Those in the fish and chip industry know that behind every perfect serving is a team of dedicated, motivated individuals who have worked hard to develop the skills they need. This makes having a well-trained and knowledgeable workforce vital to a business’ success.

“The benefits of apprenticeships are many. For example, they can develop staff so that they have skills directly relevant to a businesses’ unique operations, helping to boost productivity and the quality of output. They can also help attract talent, as advertising a new job role with an apprenticeship attached can encourage a greater number – and higher quality – of applications.

“With providers now available in every region of the UK, delivering training that is specifically tailored for those in the fish and chip industry, now is the time to see how apprenticeships can help grow your business.”

With opportunities available for businesses of all sizes, a range of roles and now in all parts of the UK, businesses should act now to find out how they can benefit.

For more information, and details of your nearest provider, please visit: https://www.seafish.org/article/fish-frier-apprenticeships