Commercial Kitchen Assistant is a learner-centred program that helps students expand their workplace skills and readiness in a classroom setting. Further training through a flexible work practicum in commercial kitchens is provided. Learners can take advantage of this fully-funded program that will lead to in-demand entry-level restaurant jobs.
Small Class Sizes, Individualized Instruction, On-site Job Coaching
Students will train as Prep Cooks with Red Seal Chef Lita Moth in Selkirk College’s professional kitchen at the Tenth Street Campus in Nelson. Students will learn:
- Food preparation
- Chopping
- Mixing
- Measuring
- Terminology
- Planning
- Ordering
- Teamwork
- Clean up
This program runs for six hours per week for 23 weeks. Earn 29 credits in a combination of classroom and in-kitchen instruction. Our courses (read further descriptions) include:
- Food Safety and Sanitation (Food Safe)
- Production Procedures and Equipment
- Beverage Stations
- Preparation of Fruit and Vegetables
- Preparation of Starches
- Breakfast Cookery
- Salads and Sandwiches
- Meat Preparation and Cookery
- Soups, Stocks and Sauces
- Baked Goods and Dessert
Learning materials will build from existing curriculum for Prep Cook training and help students as they bridge to employment. Students who wish to take the Professional Cook program, but are not quite ready can take this program and become familiar with techniques, terminology, workplace expectations and curriculum in order to succeed later on.
Practicum placements will be 4-6 hours/week for 16 of the 23 weeks, with the employer and student determining a suitable schedule. The practicum has all the expectations of paid employment: punctuality, preparation, participation, procedural safety, cooperation, effective communication, willingness to try assigned tasks, and teh practice of asking relevant questions.
On-site job coaching with Instructor, Lita Moth, throughout one or more work placements enables the student to continue to master workplace awareness, skills, and aptitude.
Student placements can take place with an existing employer or can be newly created through this program. Placements will begin as soon as the student has completed the food and restaurant environment safety training and orientation.
Demand for skilled entry-level employees in local restaurants and other food-based enterprises is high.
More Info: Click here
Courses
Commercial Kitchen Assistant Certificate Courses
CKA 20 - Food Safety and Sanitation (three weeks):
- Food Safety, Sanitation and Hygiene is a food handling, sanitation and work safety course designed for food service establishment operators and front line food service workers such as cooks, servers, bussers, dishwashers, and deli workers. The course covers important food safety and worker safety information including foodborne illness, receiving and storing food, preparing food, serving food, cleaning and sanitizing. Personal hygiene in a kitchen environment will also be covered.
CKA 21 - Production Procedures and Equipment (three weeks):
- Production, Procedures and Equipment familiarizes students with the commercial kitchen environment. Sanitation and safe procedures continue to be elaborated on. Students are exposed to and learn to use tools and equipment typical to the commercial kitchen. They learn industry standard procedures to help create and maintain a safe and smoothly-running kitchen environment. This course will emulate a working commercial kitchen employment environment, with expectations surrounding safety, attendance, and communication.
CKA 22 - Beverages (two weeks)
- Beverages, enables students to learn how to prepare and serve hot and cold beverages for 1 to 100 people in a commercial kitchen setting.
CKA 23 - Preparation of Fruit and Vegetables (two weeks)
- Preparation of Fruit and Vegetables will prepare students to describe and execute basic and intermediate methods of fruit and vegetable preparation in a commercial kitchen.
CKA 24 - Preparation of Starches (two weeks)
- Preparation of Starches will introduce the learner to preparation a variety of commonly prepared starch items in a commercial kitchen environment.
CKA 25 - Breakfast Cookery (three weeks)
- Breakfast Cookery will introduce the students to commercial breakfast cookery. It will reinforce some freshly acquired skills and provide hands on practice of new skills.
CKA 26 - Salads and Sandwiches (three weeks)
- Salads and Sandwiches will have the students prepare a variety of salad garnishes, sandwich fillings and finished products in a commercial kitchen setting.
CKA 27 - Meat Preparation and Cookery (three weeks)
- Meat Preparation and Cookery will give the learner the opportunity to prepare a variety of meat dishes in a commercial kitchen setting.
CKA 28 - Soups, Stocks and Sauces (three weeks)
- Soups, Stocks and Sauces will provide an introduction to the preparation of soups, stocks and sauces in commercial kitchens.
CKA 29 - Baked Goods and Dessert (two weeks)
- Baked Goods and Dessert will focus on bread making. Students will learn how to attractively arrange a variety of bread for service. The participants will also work with producing various garnishes and attractively plating finished product desserts.
CKA 30 - Practicum (three weeks)
- Commercial Kitchen Assistant Practicum integrates the skills developed from training into the workplace environment, reinforcing learners’ new skills and knowledge. The practicum gives the student an opportunity to apply, extend, and integrate academic or technical knowledge through work experience with qualified organizations.
