Professional Cook

The 28-week Professional Cook 1 program will give you an opportunity to gain the knowledge and skills needed to work in a supervised culinary environment and will help you develop practical and essential skills related to the culinary industry. In this program, you learn about basic cooking and food preparation tasks utilizing knife skills, correct terminology, and a variety of cooking methods. Students learn to follow recipes, weigh and measure food accurately, and have an understanding of the major techniques and principles used in cooking, baking, and other aspects of food preparation. Practical instruction includes soups, sauces, meat and fish cookery, vegetables, pastry, cold kitchen, meat processing and breakfast cookery. Students are introduced to the preparation and service of luncheon banquets and a la carte menus in our authentic dining room, the Class Act Dining Room. Safe work habits are emphasized, reinforced and practiced throughout the program.

Program Outline:

For a complete program description, including prerequisite details and technical training content about each level of training see:

See the SkilledTrades BC Cook 1 overview for more details.

View official program outline

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In this program, you will learn about:

• Occupational Skills
• Stocks, Soups and Sauces
• Vegetables and Fruits
• Starches
• Meats
• Poultry
• Seafood
• Garde Manger
• Eggs, Breakfast Cookery and Dairy
• Baked Goods and Desserts
• Beverages

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You will also take:

• OFA Level 1
• Workplace Hazardous Materials Information Systems (WHMIS)

*Students must complete Occupational First Aid Level 1 within the program or have a current Occupational First Aid Level 1 certificate valid to the end of the program.

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When you successfully complete the program, you will receive these credits:

• Certificate of Qualification Professional Cook 1 (Institutional Entry) from the Industry Training Authority
• 600 work-based training hours
• College of the Rockies Certificate

Prerequisites:

• FoodSafe Level 1

The following education is highly recommended for student success within the program:

• Workplace Math 10 and either Workplace Math 11, Apprenticeship Mathematics 12, History of Math 12, or equivalent

Tuition and Fees for Domestic Students:

For the 2024/25 academic year (2024/SU, 2024/FA, 2025/WI, 2025/SP)

Tuition:	$3,142.72
Application Fee:	$30.00
Student Association Fee:	$64.40
Occupational First Aid Level 1 Fee:	$149.00
Bus Pass Fee:	$88.80
Health and Dental Fee:	$240.00
Total	$3,714.92

_{*These prices are for domestic students and may not be 100% accurate. However, these estimates will give you an adequate idea of tuition and fees for our programs. These prices do not include textbook costs. All prices are subject to change. Tuition fees include an alumni fee, student activity fees, and a student technology fee. In certain cases a materials and supply fee may also be included. For more information, visit: Tuition and Fees.}

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Additional Student Costs for Personal Protective Equipment and Supplies:

• Cook’s uniform: 2 pants, 2 jackets, 2 aprons, 2 towels, a chef’s hat and closed toe leather shoes (Approximately $200.00)
• Knife kit (knife wrap, 10 inch chef knife, flexible 6 inch boning knife, paring knife, peeler and steel) (Approximately $350.00)

Costs may vary. Contact the Chef instructor for more information.

Note: Students are responsible for their own laundry and equipment.

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Textbooks and Learning Resources:

• Depending on the level of training, textbooks will range in cost from $200 – $300. Check with the College Bookstore for exact costs.
• Access to a computer outside of normal class time will be necessary. A personal laptop or tablet is required. (Contact Chef Instructor for more information.)

As a Professional Cook, you can choose from a wide variety of job opportunities with:

• Restaurants, Cafes, and Diners
• Hotels and Resorts
• Hospitals and Health Care Facilities
• Cafeterias
• Cruise Ships
• Food Courts
• Food Trucks
• Festivals
• Arenas and Recreation Centres

With experience and Red Seal certification, you could even move into an executive chef or restaurant manager * position…or perhaps own your own restaurant one day!

Professional Cook Trainee for a Day

If you are interested in Professional Cooking as a career, but are not 100% sure that cooking is for you, then we would like to give you a glimpse into what it would be like through our, Student for a Day program. Join us for a free one-day trainee session.

What you can expect:

• You will be a part of our regular class.
• You will be given a full uniform to wear that day.
• You will shadow and assist a current Culinary Arts student in their daily routine and assignments that they have been given.

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To become a Professional Cook Trainee for a day, you require a valid BC FoodSafe certificate. FoodSafe programs are available through our Continuing Education department.  Once you have obtained a FoodSafe certificate, or if you already have one, please contact a Recruitment Officer.

A Professional Cook Waiver Form must be filled out and signed before you may proceed. Once all is verified, you will meet with one of the instructors and set up the most convenient time for your first day as a Professional Cook Trainee.

We look forward to meeting you!

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Service Canada Grants

• Apprenticeship Incentive Grant (AIG)

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Apprenticeship Completion Grant (ACG)

When you complete your Red Seal program, you can apply for the one-time taxable cash Apprenticeship Completion Grant (ACG) of $2,000.00 after you have been certified in your trade. See: Grants for Apprentices registered in Red Seal Trades.

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Additional Scholarship and Bursaries are available. Please visit our Financial Aid and Awards section to apply for the Professional Cook Training Entrance Scholarship and College of the Rockies/SIDIT awards.

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Challenging a Cook Credential:

If you have significant work experience in a trade but have never been certified in Canada, you may apply to challenge the certification. Practical Assessment dates listed under training Schedule.

Registration in this  “assessment only” session dose not include instruction and is not intended to replace the cook training course work or practical experience an individual  would get through post secondary study and appropriate industry experience. Pre-requisite: Candidates must first apply to, and have been approved by SkilledTrades BC.