Sought-After Chef Skills

Sought-After Skills You Will Gain from Our Occupational Certificate: Chef Course

Is your passion for food irrepressible? Your thirst for knowledge on cuisine unquenchable? If so, we have the ideal course for you – the Occupational Certificate: Chef course. This full-time course has been carefully developed by our expert team here at the Prue Leith Culinary Institute and offers students so much more than just a qualification – it sets them up for achieving their dreams. If you are interested in this course, keep reading as we explore what it is all about and what skills you can expect to learn.

Your Recipe for Success

Our Occupational Certificate: Chef course is an in-demand programme. The three-year, full-time course allows for January and July intakes (be sure to enrol early) and comes with only two prerequisites: a matric (or equivalent) qualification, and an unyielding passion for food preparation. This Level 5 certification comes alongside the City & Guilds Diploma and Advanced Diploma qualifications, and students can opt to join it with the ALMA Joint Programme.

The comprehensive course gets into much more than just cooking techniques, however, as there are a few chef skills it focuses on to produce well-rounded professionals who can step into any job with confidence.

Strong Management Skills

Working in a fast-paced kitchen is going to test your management skills, even if you are not yet Chef de Cuisine. Management of people, time, and resources can be learned, thankfully, and our students are trained to manage these facets of the job until it becomes second nature. During our course, students will learn about food production supervision, staff resource management, leadership skills, as well as personal development as a chef.

Safety in the Kitchen

There is a lot that can go wrong in a professional kitchen – this is why so much emphasis is placed on hygiene and safety in this environment. From knife skills to how to store food correctly, safety in the kitchen is an essential component of our training. During our course, we kick off with personal hygiene and safety, as well as food and workplace safety, and even a First Aid and Fire course.

Sustainability and Environmental Awareness

As the world in which we live becomes increasingly aware of the environmental impacts of modern living, it is important to make decisions that improve the condition of our planet. Sustainability and environmental awareness in cuisine are skills that translate to preparing food in a way that minimises wastage and prevents the damage of natural resources. It means working in a way that respects finite resources and protects our planet.

Practical Training at a Real Restaurant

It is one thing to study the theory of food preparation, master techniques at your own pace, and plate a dish to impress a lecturer – it is something else altogether to work in a real kitchen. For this reason, we allow our students to work in the academy’s on-site establishment, the Prue Leith Restaurant, or at one of our esteemed training partners. Each year, students will partake in practical work for at least five months to ensure they are thoroughly prepared for their future profession.

If your goal is to work in the culinary or hospitality industry and you are seeking a world-class institute in which to enrol, do not hesitate to contact us today.