Professional UK bakery course pilot hailed as success
The Professional Bakery training course was trialled in the UK between September and December 2009, with 42 delegates testing out four of the course’s ten planned modules in the workplace and at colleges.
The Professional Bakery training course was trialled in the UK between September and December 2009, with 42 delegates testing out four of the course’s ten planned modules in the workplace and at colleges.
It has been developed by the UK’s National Skills Academy for Food and Drink Manufacturing in partnership with its employer-led bakery steering group, which represents craft, plant and supermarket bakers. It is designed to give a broad overview of all aspects of bakery and aimed at anyone who has had no previous formal training in bakery production. Companies involved in the trial included Blackburn’s McCambridge Group, Slattery’s Bakery and Archer’s Baker and Confectioners.
National Skills Academy co-ordinator Jonathan Cooper says, “The feedback was extremely positive with many saying that it has led to a better understanding of different departments within their company. Collectively we wanted to develop a training programme that focused solely on core bakery skills and which would set a new standard for anyone working in the industry. The response from those who took part in the pilot illustrates to me that we have now achieved that aim.”
The course will be mapped against the new national Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) before it is launched. This means elements of the Professional Bakery Training course will provide candidates with credit, which can be used to attain nationally recognised qualifications.
