THE PROFESSIONAL COOK APPRENTICE GUIDE FOR BC 1

THE COOK APPRENTICE GUIDE FOR BC 1

Congratulations! You re on your way to an exciting and rewarding career as a professional cook. Becoming a certified cook in BC means you can progress in your career, from entry-level positions all the way to becoming a respected chef. Look out, Bruno Marti. Whether you re planning to work in a restaurant, a fishing lodge, on a cruise ship or in a hotel kitchen, everything you need to know to guide you through the apprenticeship process is in your hands. 2 3

ONE CERTIFICATION, TWO PATHS So you ve decided that you would like to achieve a professional cook certification. The next step is determining which pathway is right for you. Depending on your background and current situation there are two options: complete an apprenticeship or challenge the credential. Both pathways require that you gain experience on the job, take training to learn the skills, and complete an assessment process, but how you do that is really up to you. Let s walk through your two options. 4 5

APPRENTICESHIP: CHALLENGE: You have limited work experience and want formal training as well as mentorship on-the-job to work towards a credential. QUALIFIERS Training DESCRIPTION Entry can be either through a designated training program or through an employer. You have substantial experience in the trade, with a variety of employers that may or may not have had recognized credentials. Challenging is about demonstrating your knowledge and skills on-the-job. You can challenge the highest level for which you have achieved the scope of experience required. QUALIFIERS DESCRIPTION Work Experience Assessments Achievements It can be completed on the job with a qualified tradesperson i.e. Cook Certificate of Qualification (C of Q), Red Seal Cook, or Professional Cook 3 with Red Seal endorsement; Certified Chef de Cuisine (CCC); or someone who has applied for and been granted permission by the ITA for Supervision and Sign-off Authority.Hours are recorded by the sponsor in ITA Direct Access. Provincial written and practical assessments are conducted by the training provider at the end of each level of school After achieving the above and having the required hours signed off by the sponsor, you will receive: Provincial Certificate of Apprenticeship (C of A) Provincial Certificate of Qualification (C of Q, with Red Seal endorsement at the Professional Cook 3 level) Training Work Experience Assessments There is no formal training required. You may have completed informal training on-the-job or through part-time, non-designated courses. A minimum number of documented hours are required, and the work experience must show you have covered the scope of the credential you are challenging. The work experience can be verified by your former employer(s), or completed by you and notarized if you were self-employed, or past employers are unavailable to complete the documentation. You will need to provide references for hours that cannot be verified by the employer directly. Provincial written and practical assessments are conducted by an ITA-designated training provider or assessment venue Achievements After achieving the above, you will receive: Provincial Certificate of Qualification (C of Q, with Red Seal endorsement at the Professional Cook 3 level) As you build your career in cooking, you may start out working in industry to gain experience, then challenge a certificate or move into an apprenticeship. You can also start out in a training program. There are options to move between challenge and apprenticeship, but certain incentives only apply to registered apprentices. 6 7

To progress through PC1 and PC2 to PC3, you will need to register with your sponsor after you achieve each credential. If you have any questions, go2hr, the resource for BC s tourism, hospitality and foodservice sectors, is LET S TALK ABOUT COOK APPRENTICESHIP Professional Cook apprenticeship combines culinary arts training, classroom learning and handson experience. There are three levels of certification: Professional Cook 1 (PC1), Professional Cook\2 (PC2), and Professional Cook 3 (PC3, which includes the Red Seal endorsement). As an apprentice you need to complete each level to proceed to the next. The great news? Each level carries its own provincial Certificate of Qualification and many employers are looking to hire cooks with PC1 or PC2 because it s just the level they need. When you re ready to advance in your career, you can always come back and pick up where you left off. 8there to help you, every step of the way. 9

THE THREE LEVELS AT A GLANCE: COOK 1 (PC1) Usually works in a supervised environment, and performs basic cooking and food preparation tasks COOK 2 (PC2) Works under some supervision, and performs a variety of cooking and food preparation tasks using multiple cooking methods COOK 3 (PC3) Meets all the requirements of the national Cook Red Seal standard, and usually works under limited supervision WHAT ARE THE STEPS TO COMPLETE AN APPRENTICESHIP? WHAT ARE YOUR WORKPLACE SKILLS? WHAT CAN YOU MAKE FROM SCRATCH? Teamwork and communication Workplace and food safety Use of tools and equipment Knife cuts Trimming and portioning meat, poultry, and seafood Following and adjusting recipes Basic terminology and nutrition Basic cooking and baking techniques Receiving and storage procedures Basic stocks, soups and sauces Common vegetables and fruits Basic potato, rice, and pasta dishes Basic meat, poultry and seafood dishes Salads, salad dressings, and sandwiches Eggs and breakfast items Basic pies and tarts, and cookies Fruit desserts and custards Basic quick and yeast breads Coffee and tea products All PC1 skills plus: Preparing food for allergies and special diets Volume cooking Deboning meat, poultry and seafood Basic cost calculations Basic menu planning Taking inventory All PC1 items plus: Specialty soups and secondary sauces Specialty vegetables and vegetarian dishes Specialty potato, pasta and grain dishes Meat, poultry and seafood dishes for volume functions Specialty salads and dressings Hors d oeuvre and appetizers Presentation platters Pastries, cakes and cheesecakes All PC1 and 2 skills plus: Specialty cooking methods Maintaining food safety systems Food and labour costing Basic teambuilding, leadership and supervision skills Buffet presentation and design Basic wine knowledge and selection All PC 1 and 2 items plus: Specialty and ethnic sauces Game and variety meats Specialty and classic meat, poultry and seafood dishes Pates, terrines, basic sausage making, curing, and smoking Hot and specialty plated desserts Specialty cakes and tortes Frozen desserts, ice creams and sorbets Basic chocolate and sugar garnishes 1. Find an appropriate sponsor: a. Workplace-entry through an employer; b. Institution-entry through an ITA designated post-secondary culinary arts program; or c. Institution-entry through a high school Accelerated Credit Enrolment in Industry Training (ACE IT) program 2. Register as an apprentice 3. Achieve/Record the required workplace experience 4. Attend technical training: a. Complete and successfully pass the training b. Write and pass the Certificate of Qualification or Inter-Provincial (Red Seal) exam c. Succeed in the required ITA standardized practical assessment 5 Obtain Sign-Off (Recommendation for Certification) From your sponsor and the appropriate qualified tradesperson, that you have achieved all the requirements and are performing at the required skill level. 10 11

For detailed information on how to complete an apprenticeship, please go to: go2hr.ca/training/apprenticeship WHO CAN BE A SPONSOR, AND WHAT IS THEIR ROLE? At Professional Cook 1 and\2, with Red Seal endorsement, Your sponsor s role will be to: Submit your workplace hours your sponsor can be either Certified Chef de Cuisine, or Ensure you receive training regularly to ITA. your employer or your training ITA designated supervision and and practical experience, Recommend certification institution. Some high schools can sign-off authority. This is the covering the scope of your when you have met all the also be sponsors, if they offer the person who directs your training industry training program, completion requirements for ACE IT program. For a complete and when you ve completed under the supervision of a the apprenticeship program listing of approved training your program requirements qualified tradesperson. you re registered in. institutions that offer PC1 and at each level signs your Enable you to attend the PC2 training in BC, visit itabc.ca/ Recommendation for Certification. required technical training training-providers/overview. (six weeks per credential). Employer sponsors provide you Plan to attend training when An employer sponsor must have with the opportunity to learn it is convenient for both your a qualified tradesperson to guide on the job. You might work with sponsor and you to take time apprentices: Cook Certificate one sponsor during your whole off of work. of Qualification (C of Q), Red apprenticeship or several as you Seal Cook, Professional Cook/3 advance your career. 12 13

HOW DO I FIND A SPONSOR? If your current employer does not have certification or credentials, ask them to consider applying for Supervision and Sign-off Authority, which would give them the ability to sponsor you. If you are not currently employed, check with the secondary or post-secondary culinary arts schools in your area, local businesses you would like to work at, or tap into your personal networks of friends and family to see if they know any employers that have apprentices, or have Red Seal/tradespersons on staff to potentially sponsor you. Visit go2hr.ca to view job openings in your trade on the go2hr Job Board, or stories and employer profiles, to help you identify potential sponsors. If you have tried all these options, please contact go2hr to see if we can help. WHAT HAPPENS IF MY SPONSOR CHANGES? If your sponsor changes, follow these steps: 1. Check with your old sponsor to make sure that all of your workplace hours with them have been reported to the ITA. 2. You and your new sponsor will register with the ITA either using ITA Direct Access or by completing the Apprentice and Sponsor Registration Form. This is the same process and paperwork you have completed with your original sponsor when you first registered for apprenticeship. WHAT IF I M HAVING TROUBLE GETTING TIME OFF FOR MY TECHNICAL TRAINING? Your sponsor is required to make it possible for you to attend technical training, which may include releasing you from work. You will need to talk to your sponsor about setting up a schedule that will allow you to attend, and the more lead time you can give your sponsor, the better. They have to plan their schedules, too! Did you know apprenticeship training is available throughout the province? To view locations, access schedules, and 14 register online visit: tradestrainingbc.ca 15

HOW DO I KEEP TRACK OF MY PROGRESS? HOW DO I RECEIVE MY CERTIFICATE? Each time you complete a step in your PC1, PC2, or PC3 program, the ITA will send an official transcript to both you and your sponsor. any changes to your contact information such as change of address, phone number, or email address. Check with your sponsor that your workplace hours are Once all your work-based training, technical training and other program requirements have been completed, and you ve passed the practical assessment and final exam, the ITA sends your PC3 certificate to your sponsor to sign and present to you. Congratulations!! Your sponsor can also decide not to recommend certification being reported to the ITA. You sponsor a Recommendation for if they believe you need more What s a step? For example, if the can help by keeping a record Certification (RFC) form. experience to perform at the skill ITA receives an update that your of your hours and when your level required. They must provide sponsor submits the workplace sponsor should be reporting Your sponsor is responsible the reasons for this decision and hours that you ve achieved, that s a step. Or, let s say you complete your technical training. That s another step. Other steps in your program include completing your practical assessment and writing your final exam. For each step the ITA will update your transcript, which you can review online through ITA Direct Access. Take control of your education: Ensure you are registered them to the ITA. Review the technical training schedules and work with your sponsor to plan your time off to take your technical training. When you have completed all the program requirements, check to see if your sponsor has received, completed and returned the Recommendation for Certification form. Visit go2hr.ca if you need more detailed information for deciding whether or not to recommend you for certification. If your sponsor is confident that you are performing at the skill level required, they will sign and send the completed RFC to ITA, who then sends your PC1, PC2 or create a training plan to help you build the skills and knowledge that you lack, as well as suggest a future date for the ITA to send another Recommendation for Certification form. for an account in ITA Direct Access so you can access your records online, and update 16 17

WHO S IN CHARGE OF WHAT? As you make your way through the apprenticeship process, you ll be dealing with: Industry Training Authority (ITA) the ITA is a provincial Crown corporation established in 2004 by the Industry Training Authority Act. It is responsible for leading and coordinating the skilled trades training and credentialing system for British Columbia (BC), providing strategic leadership, policy support and customer services to help apprentices, employers and industry. ITA sets program standards, maintains credential records and issues the highly regarded Interprovincial Red Seal and BC Certificate of Qualification (C of Q) credentials. Industry Training Organizations (ITOs) working in partnership with ITA, they are established and run by industry sectors. They focus on understanding the trades training needs for their sector, and on making recommendations to ITA and training providers to improve the industry training system. go2hr the ITO for BC s tourism, hospitality and foodservice sectors, go2hr is BC s tourism human resources association responsible for coordinating the BC Tourism Labour Market Strategy, go2hr supports the growth and success of the tourism industry by developing strategies to help tourism and hospitality businesses in recruiting, retaining, and training employees. go2hr manages the Professional Cook, Baker, Meatcutter and Tidal Angling Guide programs. It also administers Serving it Right, BC s responsible beverage service program, and FOODSAFE Level 1 by Correspondence. ITA Designated Training Provider an individual or organization that provides training services and has been designated by ITA to deliver a specific course and level of training for an ITA industry training program. Training providers may be public or private secondary and post-secondary schools, or private institutions. 18 19

IS THERE GOVERNMENT FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR APPRENTICES? Employment Insurance Apprentices registered with the ITA may be eligible for temporary financial supports while they attend ITA approved training for their apprenticeship. For more information, visit the ITA website at itabc.ca/ grants-tax-credits/employment-insurance. Provincial Tax Credits 1. British Columbia Training Tax Credit: Until December 31, 2014, you can qualify for a tax credit of up to $4,000 to help pay for your certification. This is available to both apprentices and challengers. For Indians registered under the Indian Act or challengers eligible for the Disability Tax Credit, they will be eligible to receive the enhanced tax credits. Please see the following chart lists for more detail: COOK LEVEL REGULAR ENHANCED 1 N/A* $500** 2 N/A* $500** 3 $2,000 $3,000 * The federal government provides an Apprenticeship Incentive Grant of $1,000 to apprentices in the first two years of a Red Seal program, so BC does not provide a Training Tax Credit for completing the first two levels of a Red Seal program. Federal Tax Credits & Grants 1. Tradesperson s Tool Deduction: As a trades apprentice, you can deduct some of the costs of your tools, up to a total of $500 per year. 2. Apprenticeship Incentive Grant*: Once you achieve your PC1 or PC2 credential, you are eligible to receive a taxable cash grant of $1,000 per year, up to a maximum of $2,000 per person. 3. Apprenticeship Completion Grant: When you complete your PC3/Red Seal, you will earn an additional $2,000 from the federal government. ** This amount is in addition to the federal grant For more details and instructions on how to apply: go2hr.ca/govfinancialsupport 20 21

SUMMARY ITEM COOK 1 (PC1) COOK 2 (PC2) COOK 3 (PC3) Prerequisites FOODSAFE Level 1 FOODSAFE Level 1 PC1 certification FOODSAFE Level 1 PC2 certification WHERE CAN I FIND MORE INFORMATION ABOUT EACH LEVEL OF COOK? Institution-entry apprentice program through post-secondary institution (hours) Workplaceentry apprentice (hours) Technical training: 840 hours or 28 weeks Work-based training: 400 hours of work-based training outside of the program Technical training: Average of 180 hours or 6 weeks Work- based training: 1,000 hours Technical training: 420 hours or 14 weeks Work-based training: 760 hours of work-based training outside of the program Technical training: Average of 180 hours or 6 weeks Work- based training: 2,000 hours total Not available Technical training: Average of 180 hours or 6 weeks Work- based training: 5,000 hours total You ll find detailed descriptions of PC1, PC2 and PC3 in the ITA Program Profiles and Program Outlines. Go to itabc.ca and follow Discover Apprenticeship Programs > Trade Programs to find the appropriate links for each Professional Cook Program. You can also go to go2hr.ca/cook for detailed information on career paths and salary information. Forms Completion requirements Registration form to start PC1 Work-Based Training Report to record hours Recommendation for Certification Form for PC1 In-school mark: 70% Practical assessment: pass Certificate of Qualification exam: 70% Registration form to start PC2 Work-Based Training Report to record hours Recommendation for Certification Form for PC2 In-school mark: 70% Practical assessment: pass Certificate of Qualification exam: 70% Registration form to start PC3 Work-Based Training Report to record hours Recommendation for Certification Form for PC3 In-school mark: 70% Practical assessment: pass Red Seal exam: 70% Remember, you can find all this information and more on the web! Visit itabc.ca for forms, lists of training institutions and program descriptions. tradestrainingbc.ca will give Challenge option 1,000 work-based hours FOODSAFE Level 1 Employer verification Practical assessment: pass Certificate of Qualification exam: 70% 2,000 work-based hours (or PC1 plus 1,000 hours) FOODSAFE Level 1 Employer verification Practical assessment: pass Certificate of Qualification exam: 70% 5,000 work-based hours (or PC2 plus 3,000 hours or PC1 plus 4,000 hours) FOODSAFE Level 1 Employer verification Practical assessment: pass Inter-Provincial (Red Seal) exam: 70% you training program locations and schedules. And, for Where is this BC Other provinces will give BC Other provinces BC and Canada apprenticeship support as well as the latest industry credential credit towards apprenticeship will give credit towards 22 information and job postings, visit go2hr.ca. recognized? training apprenticeship training 23

Photos throughout this document are from: Canadian Tourism Commission, Glowbal Restaurant Group, The Vancouver Marriott Pinnacle Downtown, YEW Restaurant 24 Suite 450-505 Burrard Street P.O. Box 59 Vancouver, BC V7X 1M3 Tel: 604 633 9787 Fax: 604 633 9796 Web: go2hr.ca