As of September 2009, there has been a province-wide implementation of a comprehensive new system for training and assessing cooks. Please see Professional Cook 1, 2, 3: New Industry Training and Credentials for details about this new program.
Professional cooks have myriad employment opportunities, ranging from cooking on a cruise ship, at a restaurant or at a remote wilderness resort to being a personal chef or running a large hotel with many different departments. No matter which career path you choose, all the options call for someone who is passionate about food and loves to cook.
A cook is a person who performs all stages of kitchen activities, from food preparation and presentation of soups, sauces, meats, fish, poultry and desserts to basic menu planning and costing and knowledge of safety, sanitation and food storage. Cooks also develop good customer relations.
You can enter the industry in a frontline position and with dedication, training and skill work your way through an apprenticeship to earn your Inter-Provincial Red Seal, which is recognized across Canada.
Educational Requirement to Enter the Trade:
- Required: FOODSAFE level 1
- Recommended: Grade 10 or equivalent including English 10, Math 10 and Science 10
- Preferred: Grade 12
BC Institutions That Offer Cook Apprenticeship Training:
- Camosun College
- Cascade Culinary Arts School
- College of New Caledonia
- College of the Rockies
- North Island College
- Northern Lights College
- Northwest Community College
- Northwest Culinary Academy of Vancouver
- Okanagan College
- Selkirk College
- Thompson Rivers University
- University of the Fraser Valley
- Vancouver Community College
- Vancouver Island University
How Long is the Apprenticeship?
- Cooking is now a progressive credential, with lower levels a prerequisite for each of the next levels
- It takes approximately three years to complete all three programs and attain your Inter-Provincial (Red Seal) designation
- Professional Cook 1:
- Institution Entry: 840 hours technical training and 400 hours of on-the-job training
- Workplace Entry (traditional apprenticeship): 180 hours technical training and 1,000 hours of on-the-job training
- Professional Cook 2: (PC1 prerequisite)
- Institution Entry: 420 hours technical training and 760 hours of on-the-job training
- Workplace Entry (traditional apprenticeship): 180 hours technical training and 1,000 hours of on-the-job training
- Professional Cook 3: (PC2 prerequisite)
- Workplace Entry (traditional apprenticeship): 180 hours technical training and 3,000 hours of on-the-job training, and successful writing of the Inter-Provincial Red Seal exam
Salary: Salaries vary depending on the type of establishment and its location within BC.