From the publican's perspective, Richard Luttman, the head chef at the Bard & Banker Scottish Pub in Victoria, is not alone in his enthusiasm for the revamped Professional Cook Program. Anya Davis, manager of Darby’s, Kitsilano’s Neighbourhood Pub, says one of her cooks is “midway through the program. We’ll benefit from the resulting Red Seal in many ways. First and foremost, it demonstrates that our food has a level of excellence and consistency, which is imperative not only in attracting new patrons to our establishment but encouraging them to become regulars.”
The Professional Cook Program now has a broader appeal to more potential apprenticeship candidates and to a greater number of employers. There are still three distinct skill levels, but each one is now granted its own certification: Professional Cook 1 (PC1); Professional Cook 2 (PC2); and Professional Cook 3/Red Seal. Employers can now hire an apprentice at any of these three levels, work with that person to attain certification, then either continue to the next level or keep the apprentice employed at the current certified level. Previously, those who had completed only part of the program were simply deemed not to have graduated, so they didn’t receive any certification for their interim progress. The first stage of training will continue to be offered through the high school ACE-IT programs, the traditional apprenticeship model, and through post-secondary culinary arts programs.
Davis says that Darby’s commitment to the program comes courtesy of executive chef Alex Rotherham, who, after learning about the program’s components, “offered apprenticeships to any of his cooks who were serious about improving themselves and developing a career. And yes, we fully appreciate that by supporting our staff in this manner, we’re helping to ensure good retention.”
At Spinnakers Gastro Brewpub & Guesthouses in Victoria, chef Alison Ryan presides over a 33-member staff, three of whom recently obtained their Red Seals, plus three who are in various stages of the Professional Cook Program. “The ones who are still in the program were hired by me straight from Esquimalt High School, and when they exhibited a genuine interest in food, I sponsored them along with the others,” she says.
Quality and consistency is vital at Spinnakers, which is committed to farm-fresh local ingredients year-round. “When I’m not sourcing food locally I’m bringing in wild boar from the Interior. Therefore I need staff who are thoroughly trained and totally into food culture,” says Ryan.
Ryan says her apprentices in the program are responsible for their own expenses: “It’s just another indication that they’re serious about making cooking a career instead of regarding it as a weekend job. I provide encouragement by adjusting my work schedule to be more flexible than normal, in order to accommodate their class time.”
Apart from gaining skilled employees and boosting retention, sponsorship in some cases entitles employers to federal and provincial government tax credits. Also, apprentices can share up-to-date skills with other staff, thus boosting a business’s competitiveness.
By Robin Brunet. Originally titled "Now you're cooking!", this is excerpted from an article previously published in the Winter 2010 issue of the Publican Magazine.
