If you have a yearning for creativity, enjoy working in team settings, and like to work using your hands, a career in commercial bakeries is the right fit for you. Baking is a skilled trade which requires on-the-job training which is more important than any classroom lecture in this profession. It requires good manual and finger dexterity to perform common bakery skills like kneading and moulding.
The fast-paced work environments in baking professions are mainly found in the retail trade. This is composed of independent bakeries, internal bakeries of grocery stores, and wholesale stores. Corporate Chef Corey Kovacs, who has a dual certification in culinary arts and baking/patisserie, initiated Centennial College’s baking program and describes it to be designed to directly “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.” He is currently a Chef Professor at the baking course in Toronto.
A career in baking has boundless possibilities and a wide potential for growth, depending on the skills of the individual. One can join a company’s baking department but one can also start his or her own business and be their own boss. In addition to the retail industry, baking professionals can work in other fields that include baking as an integral part of their business. The hospitality and tourism industry employs bakers in resorts, hotels, and restaurants. An interesting fact is that bakers strictly follow recipes, but can also be found experimenting new recipes to introduce to their companies.
Since baking is a skilled trade, some may opt to starting in the industry, gaining experience first. However, training made available in colleges can facilitate employment and also test your abilities and commitment in baking. The Baking – Commercial Bakeries program is a two-semester course of studies offered at Centennial College. Theory and practical knowledge are taught in its 15 courses, which is a tight schedule but can deliver a college certificate quickly so graduates can enter the workforce and hone their skills. However, Centennial provides hands-on training with its enhanced baking lab and industry-experienced professors.
A kitchen team in Food Network shows is comprised of a group of crew members and a leader who must delegate instructions and manage every team member. A typical week at Centennial’s labs sees one student as the head chef while the other learners work together to follow the leader’s specifications. It’s a great learning curve in baking but also in the culinary industry where leadership skills and patience are put to the test. The career is rewarding but perfecting the skills will take time and practice to develop. For those who are passionate about baking and willing to work hard, they can soon become head baking chefs and entrepreneurs, and also delve into similar career paths within their culinary discipline.
The Baking – Commercial Bakeries program at Centennial College extends its teachings from the academic and applied training of baking to other relevant courses that can help ensure a positive job outlook for its graduates. Courses like Sanitation, Safety and Hygiene, and Purchasing for the Commercial Kitchen prepares students to enter the industry as learned professionals who will act ethically for the safety of the public they serve. The program is offered at Centennial’s Progress campus in the fall, winter and summer semesters. Students graduate with employable skills, with on-the-job training from labs and experiences at school events.
