Qualification Units
Restaurant and catering service training in English
Interested in the restaurant and catering industry? Seize the opportunity to boost your employment opportunities!
Restaurant workers are craftspeople in a creative field. In addition to cooking, experiments in a professional kitchen require an artistic eye, cleaning and hygiene skills, as well as skills in prefabricating, designing and innovating raw materials.
Restaurant workers need also diverse knowledge to be able to work in a professional manner in the restaurant and catering industry. For example, by selecting raw materials, and reducing and sorting waste, chefs can influence climate-responsible kitchen operations.
The training focuses on, among other things:
- Various food stuffs
- Machinery and utensils for professional kitchens
- Cooking methods
- Customer service
- Kitchen hygiene
This will prepare you to work in various professional kitchens and restaurants.
The key objective of the education is the student’s employment, which is why building a working life network through learning in the actual working life plays an important role. In addition to professional competence, an important goal of the education is to develop the student`s abilities for independent work and increased working life skills.
Admission requirements:
- Strong motivation for professional kitchen work
- Suitable physical health for professional kitchen work
- Energetic and positive attitude to professional kitchen work
- Ability to work physically and independently
- Teamwork mindset
- Good oral and written skills in English (must be at least level B1)
- Basic oral and written skills in Finnish (must be at least level A2.2)
For whom?
The training is aimed at people who are intrested in working in a restaurant or catering company and who are suitable for the field.
If you are interested in the field and have sufficient Finnish language skills, are capable of physical and independent work, get along with a wide range of people, are happy and energetic, apply for training!
The level of Finnish language proficiency required is A2.2., because according to the vocational qualification criterias, you must be able to serve customers in finnish also.
The training presents an opportunity to complete individual qualification units.
During the training, you can complete individual qualification units, such as:
- Working in catering services
- Preparing lunch dishes
Persons with a vocational qualification unit in restaurant and catering can work in kitchen and customer service positions in various food service companies.
After completing a vocational qualification unit, you can later complete the entire qualification in restaurant and catering.
In practice
Content of the training
The student´s goal is to complete 1-2 of the following vocational qualification units (Vocational Qualification in Restaurant and Catering Services):
Working in catering services, 20 cp (competence point)
- Maintenance of customer and working areas
- Preparing dishes and special diets
- Customer service and cashiering
- Maintenance of dishes and cleanliness
- In-house control of working methods
Preparing lunch dishes, 40 cp
- Knowledge of foodstuffs
- Nutrition and special diets
- Preparing dishes
- Recipe programmes
- Maintenance of dishes and cleanliness
- In-house control of working methods
- Maintaining work ability
- Digital skills
The student´s will also complete the hygiene passport during the training.
Training period
20.10.2026 – 28.5.2027
The training has a holiday period: 23.12.2026 – 3.1.2027
Practical implementation
Training takes place on weekdays from 9 am to 3 pm.
The working life-oriented training is carried out as multiform training which includes contact teaching, e-learning, supervised self-study as well as on-the-job learning.
Teaching language is english.
The training is full-time studying.
Approximately half of the training consists of practical learning in workplaces in the restaurant and catering industry. During on-the-job learning students complete their competence demonstrations of qualification units. On-the-job learning might be held also on weekends depending on the working hours arrangements of on-the-job learning workplaces.
A personal competence development plan (PCDP) is drawn up for each student taking into account the students’ previous education and work experience. The duration of the training may vary depending on each student’s individual PCDP.
The key objectives
Firstly, the student´s goal is to complete 1-2 vocational qualification units of Vocational Qualification in Restaurant and Catering Services. In addition to professional competence, the aim of the training is to develop the student´s abilities for independent work and to improve working life skills in the restaurant and catering industry.
After completing 1-2 vocational qualification units, it is possible later to continue the studies to complete the entire qualification in Restaurant and Catering Services.
Secondly, the key objective of this training is the student´s employment in various professional kitchens and restaurants, which is why building a professional network through on-the-job learning plays an important role in the training.
Place of study
Contact teaching is held at Careeria’s Helsinki campus:
Lämmittäjänkatu 2 A, 00880 Helsinki.
Apply for this training
Labour market training 20.10.2026, Helsinki
Training period: October 20, 2026 – May 28, 2027.
Application period: July 7, 2026 – September 7, 2026.
The training number is 26071167.
Fill out an electronic application by September 7, 2026. Alternatively, you can personally submit a paper application at any office of regional Employment Services (paper application form keha20e1_fi 05/2025: www.suomi.fi; the search word: keha20e1; the training number: 26071167) by the end of the application period.
Please note that you will not receive an email confirmation of submitting your application, and you will not be able to see your submitted applications in the Asiointi Service (Työmarkkinatori).
Please note that the training application is binding and cannot be withdrawn without a valid reason. By submitting an application to this training, you agree to participate in the selection process and to take part in the training, if you are selected for it. If you cancel the application, do not participate in the selection process, or do not start the training, regional employment services will review your entitlement to unemployment benefit (Työttömyysturvalaki 2 a luku 9–10 § ja 14 §).
Selection process
The representatives of Helsinki Employment Services and Careeria make a pre-selection for the training based on the applications.
In the application, it is important to highlight your suitability and motivation for the training, and for working in the restaurant and catering industry. Please fill out the application in English.
After the pre-selection, some of the applicants will be invited for the selection interview.
The interviews will take place at Careeria´s Helsinki Campus in week 40, 2026:
Lämmittäjänkatu 2 A, 00880 HELSINKI
Careeria will send the interview invitations by e-mail / SMS approximately one week before the interview time. If needed, the interviewed applicants must also participate in the Finnish language test at Careeria in week 40.
The applicants will be notified of the student selection results via a selection decision approximately 1–2 weeks before the start date of the training. The rejection decisions for the employment training will be made by Helsinki Employment Services after the selection process has been completed.
Ask for more information
Do you want to ask more about training? Do you have any questions?
Get in touch! We are happy to help.
Further information:
Outi Tuina
Teacher
040 080 4410
Outi.Tuina@careeria.fi
