Baking Program Hones In Baking Talents

Summary: The baking program at Centennial College makes use of kitchens at the school’s Progress campus so that students may obtain hands-on practice.

“The baking program is meant directly to supply competent and qualified people that are skillful for artisan bakeries, commissary kitchens such as large production facilities as well as in-house bakeries for grocery stores,” says Corey Covex, chef professor in Centennial College’s Baking – Commercial Bakeries program. “The baking program is very labour intensive, which means they have a lot of in-class participation, a lot of in-class products they have to produce, making students employment ready.”

This testimonial from Corey demonstrates the vast opportunities that are allotted to graduates of Centennial College’s baking program upon graduation and offers insight into how the offering gets them there. In addition to the places mentioned by Corey, grads may also work at department stores, hotels, camps and other related businesses. Among the specific businesses that have hired Centennial College baking program grads are: Costco, Wal-Mart Supercentre, Loblaws, Metro and Sobeys.

Let’s take a look at some of the essential details of the baking program and its courses. First and foremost, because the program only takes two semesters to complete, it is intensive and fast-paced. Students should be prepared to gain insight into not only producing commercial quantities of breads, rolls, sweet dough, savoury and sweet pastry, danish and puff pastry, cookies, cakes and desserts, but also applying business know-how to the baking industry. In addition, students gain insight into important baking etiquette such as safety and ethics as well as professional manner.

Throughout students’ baking courses Toronto, professional bakers serve as instructors who ensure there is a mature environment in which students collaborate and learn from one another. As student Ciara tells it, “In the first semester, we just learned about the actual baking like recipes and proportions. Second semester, we get into more detailed things like baking cakes. We also have hands-on practice where one person gets to be the chef and the rest of us have to do what they say.”

To help students in getting real world simulation during their baking courses are the facilities at Progress Campus, which is home to all

School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culture offerings. Among these facilities are kitchens in which students can obtain hands-on training to complement what they learn in their baking courses. In addition, students learn in a newly renovated lab and have a state-of-the-art computer lab at their disposal.

Among the particular baking courses offered in this baking program are: Baking and Pastry Arts Practice, Baking and Pastry Arts, Purchasing for the Commercial Kitchen, Practical Math of Hospitality, Introduction to Computing, Mathematics for Bakers, Quantity Bakery Production and more.

Baking program applicants are required to possess at minimum an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent, or mature student status (19 years or older). In addition, they must have completed English Grade 12 C or U or equivalent, or skills assessment.

Author Details: Klaudia writes that not only do students attend theory-based baking courses at Centennial College but they also practice what they learn.