Hospitality
Koch/Köchin EFZ
Key facts
- Qualification
- Federal VET Diploma (EFZ)
- Length
- 3 years
You turn fresh ingredients into dishes that guests love, as part of a team and often under time pressure.
What you do
In the kitchen you prepare starters, main courses and desserts. You prepare vegetables, cut meat and fish, make sauces and stocks and arrange the plates nicely. You pay attention to hygiene, store food properly and plan ahead so that everything is ready for service.
Cooks work in restaurants, hotels, hospitals, care homes, canteens and large-scale kitchens. Every place has its own rhythm.
What you bring
- Enjoying cooking and curiosity about new flavours
- Stamina and resilience, even when things get hectic
- Cleanliness and care
- Willingness to work evenings and weekends
Tip: In hospital and care home kitchens the working hours are often more regular than in a restaurant. Feel free to do taster placements in both.
How the apprenticeship works
The apprenticeship takes three years. You work in the kitchen, go to vocational school and attend industry courses. There is also a two-year way in: kitchen assistant (EBA).
And afterwards
Cooks also find work abroad. After the apprenticeship you can train further with professional exams to become a head chef, specialise in dietary cooking or attend a hotel management school.
Klingt gut? Dann probier es aus
Ob ein Beruf passt, merkst du am besten in einer Schnupperlehre. Ein paar Tage im Betrieb sagen mehr als jede Beschreibung.
More about the occupation
What people do in this occupation and which schooling it needs is described in detail by the official career guidance service.