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Overview
Learn to prepare food for hotels, restaurants and other establishments.
If you like a challenge, are passionate about food and enjoy working in a fast-paced environment, you will enjoy a career as a Cook. A cook's major responsibilities are nutrition, food costs and sanitation.
Depending on the establishment, you may study menus to estimate food requirements and obtain the necessary food from storage or suppliers, washing, peeling and cutting vegetables, cleaning and cutting meats, fish and poultry and cleaning kitchen equipment and cooking utensils.
You may also be involved in preparing, seasoning and cooking such foods as soups, salads, meats, fish, gravies, vegetables, desserts, sauces and casseroles, carving meats, preparing portions on a plate and adding gravies, sauces and garnish to servings or baking pastries.
Throughout your career, you may also prepare buffets (for example, platters and showpieces), prepare special diets, oversee menu planning, regulate stock control, and supervise kitchen staff.
While specific duties vary depending on the type of establishment, it will be your responsibility to prepare appealing and nutritious meals.
Cooks love to share their passion for food, have a knack for creativity, are self-motivated, and enjoy working collaboratively. This line of work is most fulfilling for those who enjoy working in fast-paced environments and like challenges.
To thrive in this career, it is important to have the following traits:
- have good basic mathematics skills
- have a genuine interest in preparing food and working with people
- be in good health and able to stand for long periods
- have a keen sense of taste and smell
- be ready to work as a member of a team or independently
- be willing to maintain the high standard of cleanliness necessary in any food establishment
- be creative
- a commitment to safe work habits.
Upon successfully completing the required working hours and apprenticeship education periods, graduates will be awarded a diploma in addition to journeyperson status by Alberta’s Apprenticeship and Industry Training.
This is a Red Seal Endorsed trade – a recognizable standard that allows tradespeople to work across Canada.
Careers and opportunities
Our graduates may work in the following occupations. Some careers require additional experience and education.
Associated National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes: 60030, 62020, 62200, 63200, 65201.
Apprenticeship training
The term of apprenticeship for a cook is three years (three 12-month periods), including a minimum of 1560 hours of on-the-job training and eight weeks of apprenticeship education at SAIT each year.
Year 1 | Period 1
You will start by learning safety, kitchen orientation and trade mathematics. You will then learn butcher shop practices, introduction to cooking proteins, introduction to saucier, introduction to cold kitchen, introduction to bakeshop and breakfast, beverages and dairy products.
Training length: 8 weeks
Year 2 | Period 2
You will then learn management controls and nutritional components, cooking proteins, saucier, entremetier, cold kitchen and bakeshop.
Training length: 8 weeks
Year 3 | Period 3
You will then learn management skills, preparing and cooking proteins, entremetier, saucier, liquor products, garde manger and patisserie.
Training length: 8 weeks
Weeky Apprenticeship Training System (WATS)
The Weeky Apprenticeship Training System (WATS) is designed to be delivered in shorter segments spread out over an extended period. This approach allows you to remain employed full-time while pursuing your training.
Year one of the program begins with a two-week Monday-to-Friday schedule, then switches to a Monday-only class.
Year two of the program begins with a one-day-per-week class delivery and then switches to a Tuesday-only class.
Apprenticeship education performance
To succeed in apprenticeship education, you must pass each section of the course and the AIT exam.
The passing grade for each section in a course is 65%. A passing mark on each provincial exam and the interprovincial qualification (or Red Seal Exam) is 70%.
View Alberta's Apprenticeship and Industry Training procedures
Training pathways
You can earn your journeyperson designation in the following way.
The traditional training pathway begins with finding a job with an employer willing to indenture you as an apprentice. Once you are an apprentice, you will alternate between on-the-job training and educational periods.
You must apply for an apprenticeship through Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training before attending your first education period at SAIT.
SAIT’s Culinary Arts two-year diploma is accredited for all three technical training periods.
You will still be required to complete 4,680 hours of paid work experience and must successfully challenge all three provincial exams before being considered eligible for the Red Seal exam and designation.
Admission requirements
To enter an apprenticeship, you must have the educational qualifications required or recommended education for the trade to which you apply.
Entrance requirements are monitored and set by Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training.
Minimum requirements
Successful completion of the following courses:
- English 10-2
- Math 10-3
OR
A pass mark in all five Canadian General Educational Development (GED) tests
OR
Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training Entrance Exam
Recommended requirements
Apprentices with an Alberta High School Diploma that includes the following courses:
- English 30-2
- Math 30-3
- Physics 20 OR Chemistry 20 OR Science 20
- Related career and technology studies (CTS) courses
MyTradeSecrets
Once you have begun working as an apprentice, you can attend SAIT to complete your technical training.
You'll register for technical training at SAIT on MyTradeSecrets or you can register by phone.
How to registerTransfer Agreements
SAIT has been working with industry partners to develop transfer agreements that allow students to apply their SAIT education to a related credential. The following transfer agreements are available to students in this program:
University of the Fraser Valley
- Program name
- Bachelor of Business Administration for Trades Management
- Available credits:
- 45 credits
Upon successful completion of this apprenticeship program, graduates with at least 5 years of work experience and a provincial or inter-provincial certificate of qualification held for at least one year, are eligible to apply for the Bachelor of Business Administration in Trades Management degree at the University of the Fraser Valley.
Available intakes
Costs
2024/25 tuition and fees
The following costs are effective as of July 1, 2024.
The below tuition and fee structure is based on standard delivery/block release training periods. Please contact us for costs associated with the WATS delivery program.
Books or modules, along with other items for classes, are approximately $600 per period.
It's recommended you don't purchase books or modules ahead of time as they might be outdated by the time you attend classes, and they cannot be returned to the Bookstore.
Personal protective equipment (PPE) will be required for the program, which may be an additional cost to apprentices.
2023/24 tuition and fees
The following costs are effective until June 30, 2024.
The below tuition and fee structure is based on standard delivery/block release training periods. Please contact us for costs associated with the WATS delivery program.
Funding options for apprentices
Apprentices get to learn while they earn, but there are still costs to consider. Many resources are available at SAIT and federally to help support apprentices.
Financial aidInformation sessions
Prepare for a strong start in your chosen program or get the details you need to decide your future path.
Our expert staff and faculty are ready to answer your questions and provide information about the following:
- What sets SAIT apart
- An introduction to the program and area of study
- Admission requirements
- Future career paths
- Information on the earning potential and graduate employment rates.
Contact
Have more questions?
Technical training at SAIT
School of Hospitality and Tourism
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Phone - 403.284.8612
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Email - hospitality.info@sait.ca
Apprenticeship training and registration
Apprenticeship and Industry Training Client Services