Students searching for their next move after finishing secondary schooling need to know more about vocational and non-university options according to a leading city businesswoman.
Fiona Burrell, founder and principal of the Edinburgh New Town Cookery School, said courses offering practical training can very often lead to rewarding careers, setting young people on the path to independence as they enter paid work more quickly.
“Results day looms large for students and it marks the entry to the next stage of study. While university is a rewarding route for many, it is not the only way to forge a successful career, and even students who have worked hard to win a place at university sometimes find after a year or so that it isn't what they want to do.
“Many students have come to us as an alternative to university and in as little as three or six months we have prepared them for a career in the food industry and they are set up for life. We have seen our graduates go on to a wide range of careers once they have completed a course with us. Many young graduates quickly find work with prestigious restaurants and catering companies or use the skills they've acquired to work as private chefs both in the UK and overseas. Others may go on to become the food stylists or writers of the future.”
