Questions to Ask About Internships

Many culinary programmes include an internship, externship, stage or work placement. It can be the most valuable part of the course or a disappointment, depending on how it is arranged. Schools use the terms differently, and what is advertised is not always what happens. This guide gives you the questions to ask before you enrol. It does not suggest that any school can promise a placement outcome or a job.

Terms you may meet

• Internship / externship: a period in an outside workplace, usually part of the programme. Some are unpaid, some paid.
• Stage (French, often pronounced "stahzh"): a short unpaid or low-paid period in a professional kitchen, common in fine dining.
• Work placement / work experience: general term, common in UK and Commonwealth systems.
• Apprenticeship: a job combined with training. In England, the government describes it as working and getting paid while you train and gain a qualification. It is a different arrangement from a school-organised placement.

Ask the school what it calls its arrangement and what that means in practice.

Who arranges it?

1. Does the school guarantee a placement, help you find one, or leave you to find your own? Ask for the wording in writing, and note that "guaranteed" is a claim to test.
2. If the school has partner employers, can you see the list, and how are students matched?
3. Can you propose your own placement, and who approves it?
4. What happens if a placement falls through, or the employer cancels?
5. Is there an alternative, such as time in a training restaurant, if no suitable workplace is available?

Is it required, and how is it assessed?

• Is the internship compulsory for the award, or optional?
• How long is it, and how many hours per week?
• Is it assessed? By whom: the school, the employer, or both?
• Does it count towards the award, and does it count towards practical hours? See Understanding Practical Kitchen Hours.
• Is there a logbook, supervisor's report or portfolio requirement?

Pay, costs and conditions

• Is it paid? If so, by whom and at what rate? If unpaid, is that lawful in the country concerned? Employment rules vary and you should check the local official rules.
• Who pays for uniform, travel, accommodation and meals during the placement? Also see Tuition, Uniforms, Ingredients and Equipment Costs.
• Are there insurance arrangements for accidents or injury?
• What are the working hours, including nights, weekends and split shifts? Can the school intervene if conditions seem unreasonable or unsafe?
• Is the placement location within reach of where you will live?

If you are studying abroad

Placements and work rights are tied to immigration rules, which differ by country, change over time and depend on your visa and your course. Do not rely on a school's or agent's summary. Check the current official rules for your situation.

• UK: The government's student visa page says that work is allowed in limited forms, and that the permitted hours depend on what you are studying and whether it is term-time. It also lists things not permitted, including self-employment. Read the current page here: GOV.UK student visa.
• Australia: The Study Australia site says international students can work while they study and has sections on work rights and industry experience. See the Study Australia site and the official visa guidance linked from it.
• Canada: The Government of Canada's study permit page says the permit covers study at a designated learning institution and points to separate guidance on conditions while you study. See the study permit page.

Questions for the school:

1. Is the placement part of the programme in a way that is consistent with the immigration permission you would hold?
2. Which official page or office did you consult, and may I see the reference?
3. Who is responsible if the arrangement turns out to breach my visa conditions?

You should also ask the immigration authority directly. A school can describe its programme; only the authority decides what your permission allows. See Studying Culinary Arts Abroad.

What the school can and cannot promise

A school can describe its placement process, its employer relationships and its past arrangements. It cannot honestly guarantee that:

• every student will receive a placement in a particular kind of restaurant;
• an internship will lead to a job offer;
• an internship will be acceptable for a visa, licence or credit transfer elsewhere;
• an employer will pay a particular rate.

Treat testimonials and employer logos as marketing unless the school can show the underlying arrangements.

Evidence worth asking for

• A sample placement agreement or learning agreement.
• The list of placement employers used in the last intake, as permitted by confidentiality.
• The number of students who applied for placement and how many were placed, only if the school publishes it and states how it was counted. Do not accept a rounded claim without definition.
• Contact details for the placement coordinator.
• The complaints procedure if a placement goes wrong.

Your own checklist for the placement

1. Visit the kitchen if you can, or ask for a conversation with the head chef.
2. Confirm start and end dates and daily hours in writing.
3. Ask what tasks you will do. A good placement includes learning, not only cleaning and prep.
4. Agree who supervises you and how feedback is given.
5. Clarify what happens if either side wants to end early.

Summary

Ask who arranges the placement, how it is assessed, what it costs, what it pays, and, if you are an international student, what the current official rules say about work. Get answers in writing, check them against government sources, and compare programmes using How to Choose a Culinary School and our programme listings.