Culinary Skills (Catering)

You will be in a working kitchen where you will learn different cooking methods, food preparation, baking, confectionery, nutrition, menu – planning, food hygiene and social skills. You will be part of a group of 10 where the emphasis will be on teamwork. As you will be preparing dinners for about 30 every day you will get the feel of a busy, lively restaurant kitchen.

Horticulture

You will be preparing hanging baskets and window boxes. You will design and plant flower beds and vegetable plots. There are two tunnels on site where you will grow and harvest fruit, vegetables and herbs. Organic methods are emphasised where possible.

Garage Operative

You will be working in a garage much like a commercial garage. You will learn basic servicing, valeting and dismantling. You will carry out simple repair jobs on small engines. You will also learn spray painting, panel beating and welding. Your training will involve cars and motorcycles. You will learn how to plan, measure and cost a project.

Life Skills Development and IT

You will skill sample in the areas of IT, cooking and child development. In IT you will learn word processing, spreadsheets, data entry, data base, file management, Internet and digital presentation. In cooking you will be in a working kitchen where you will learn different cooking methods, baking, nutrition and food hygiene. In child development you will learn about the link between development and play, the five key areas of development and the categories of play.

Work Experience

This is an important part of the training programme and it’s a vital link between training and the work place. Throughout your time at the CTC you will have a number of chances to sample different work environments.

Progression

Employment

With an Employability Skills Award, past learners have secured employment in restaurants, coffee shops, kitchens, hotels, take aways, retail stores, garages, market gardens, garden centres and as landscapers. Other past learners have got jobs as legal/medical secretaries and personal assistants in offices, hospitals and financial institutions.

Further Education

Some past learners have returned to education:

• Legal and medical secretarial courses Galway Community College
• Sport fitness courses in Galway Community College.
• Healthcare, Beautician, Security and Furniture making and Design courses in GTI.
• Chef traineeship in GMIT.
• Access courses in NUI Galway and GMIT.

Apprenticeship

There are also opportunities to use the two year course as a stepping stone to starting an apprenticeship. Past learners have got apprenticeships in mechanics, spray painting and panel beating, hairdressing and print media. Click Here.