Student Resource Centre

Baking apprenticeships, baking qualifications and Bakery College

If you're thinking of entering the bakery trade, Rank Hovis have provided information here that you may find useful.

This information is only a starting block, so if you want more details try going directly to the source.

Baking apprenticeships

If you want to work within the bakery sector and learn at the same time, a Modern Apprenticeship can be a good option, although not so common these days. You get hands-on experience of working in a bakery, and at the same time study at a college to obtain the necessary baking qualifications.

Some of the things you can learn whilst completing an apprenticeship;

• Hygienic working environments
• Health and safety
• Product quality
• Finishing of dough and confectionary products
• Customer service

Some bakery companies, as well as in-store bakeries and supermarkets, are keen to develop a career path for young bakers, so will invest in their staff and pay for college fees. If a baking apprenticeship is the direction you want to follow, then more information can be found at www.apprenticeships.org.uk or by going straight to a bakery company.

Courses and qualifications from Bakery College

With a national decline in the traditional craft of baking, there is a need to encourage the younger generations to enter the industry.

There are many bakery courses available, though the subjects and content can be very varied. You can study basic bread making or more comprehensive courses, covering anything from cake making to confectionary decorating. There are also specialised courses, such as sugar crafting and pastry craft which you can undertake.

Some of the colleges that actively support the bakery industry, and have courses available, are:

• Blackpool and Fylde College
• Thomas Danby
• Leicester College
• Tameside College
• Brooklands College
• Sheffield College
• Blackburn College

The obtainable qualifications are mainly National Vocational Qualification, sometimes combining City & Guilds. The NVQs range from Level 1 up to Level 3, and there are also new VRQs (Vocationally Related Qualifications) which have been introduced, as well as HNCs (Higher National Certificates) that can be studied for.

With such a wide offering of courses, and with so many colleges to choose from, there are organisations dedicated to helping bakery students, such as the Alliance of Bakery Students and Trainees (ABST).

Other organisations that carry out bakery courses include the National Association of Master Bakers (NAMB) www.masterbakers.co.uk and the National Association of British and Irish Millers (NABIM) www.nabim.org.uk.

The Worshipful Company of Bakers is also a very useful source, (www.bakers.co.uk), helping to create rewarding careers for people of all ages in the bakery trade. If you require information on suitable courses and colleges, then this site can provide you with the relevant information. Another consortium that solely helps to develop the skills of people is Bakery Excellence (www.bakingexcellence.co.uk). Our personnel also work closely with the organisation.