Culinary Arts
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VCC's Culinary Arts program is one of the most highly respected industry training programs in the country, led by experienced chefs who routinely win medals in regional, national and international competitions. As well, many students win major competitions, both locally and abroad. Fully recognized by the Industry Training Authority, students earn apprenticeship qualifications in addition to a VCC credential.
Under the new apprenticeship model, the culinary arts program at VCC provides a number of added benefits for students. Some of these new benefits include:
- VCC now sponsors and signs up students as apprentices until the end of the program.
- Students earn apprentice hours while training at VCC.
- VCC can record previous culinary experience towards apprentice hours.
- Students qualify to write Professional Cook 1 and Cook 2 provincial exams which lead to a Red Seal.
Note: Students are required to achieve a minimum 70% in all courses and exams.
If you know the admission requirements,
Find out more about this program:
- Program Description
- Career Prospects
- Admission Requirements
- Program Status
- Apply to this Program
- Fees and Other Costs
- Additional Information
- Courses
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Program Description
On a daily basis students in this program prepare breakfast, lunch and dinner in the cafeteria as well as lunch and dinner in JJ's Dining room at the Downtown Campus for as many as 500 meals per day! This gives students the opportunity to learn important skills while developing hands-on skills.
The program consists of eleven stages of professional cook training. Each month students move into specifically designed kitchens where the aspects of the Provincial Cooking curriculum are taught. The à la Carte (Cook 2) includes a dining room component.
Daily lectures and practical demonstrations are carefully designed to cover the topics at each stage of training. Most of the daily training plans (with the exception of the first month) have been designed to give students approximately 75% practical hands-on food preparation experience and 25% theory (month 1 is based on a 50% practical and 50% theory, and months 10 and 11 are based on 100% practical evaluation). In the first three months students gain general knowledge of the specific sections of cook training. The following four months build and expand on this knowledge to the institutional level. In the final four months students work with specialty items and further increase their skills with à la Carte and Banquet items.
Note: Graduates of the eleven month program could be eligible to enter the second year of their three year apprenticeship.
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Career Prospects
Graduates will find excellent opportunities for employment in all areas of the food service industry, including positions such as assistant cooks or apprentices in restaurants, hotels, aircraft flight kitchens, trains, cruise ships, kitchens in institutions, camps and other food service related areas in the hospitality industry.
Information about graduate outcomes
Admission Requirements
General
VCC welcomes applications from Canadian citizens, permanent residents and international students.
Exceptions
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Convention refugees as designated by the federal government; Foreign live-in caregivers; Individuals with work permits valid for at least one year, covering the duration of studies; or those with Approval in Principle letters from Citizenship and Immigration Canada; Legal dependents of Canadian citizens or permanent residents (certain conditions apply); Diplomats and their direct dependents; International exchange students. VCC will require proof of citizenship, residency, diplomatic or refugee status. Please see VCC's policy relating to admission for non-citizens and non-residents for more information. |
International students
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VCC welcomes international students from around the world to the college's academic or career programs. To learn more about language requirements for your program of interest, please read our English-language requirements guide; to learn more about how to apply, please see the VCC International website. We look forward to meeting you. |
As Vancouver Community College is a post-secondary institution committed to
educating adult learners, applicants should be 18 years of age or older or a graduate of a secondary school.
Please note that you must submit official transcripts and educational documents to support your application; unfortunately, we cannot accept photocopies or fax versions.
Program Specific
1) Grade 10 graduation or equivalent
Please note this program is Canadian Language Benchmarked at Listening 7, Speaking 7, Reading 7, and Writing 6.
2) BC Food Safe Certificate Level 1, see: FoodSafe
Seats are offered to applicants who have met all admission requirements, on a first-qualified, first-served basis
Recommended characteristics
Academic math 10 and english 10 strongly recommended as well as proven abilities required to perform the daily tasks associated with working in a professional kitchen including:
- standing for prolonged periods of time
- regular lifting and transportation of heavy objects
- efficiently functioning in extreme heat
- performing in a busy, fast-paced and stressful environment
- strong and efficient organizational skills, ability to multi-task
Motor skills and physical capability needed to:
- efficiently and safely use knives and other trade related tools and implements
- efficiently and safely operate industrial machinery
- present tasteful, flavorful and attractive meals on a consistent basis
- some creativity and artistic talent an asset
Ability to communicate effectively in oral and written English (applicants whose first language is not English may be required to complete an English language assessment)
Program Status
Accepting applications (approximate 7 month waitlist)
Apply to this Program
The first step, apply early. Students who have officially applied and met all admission requirements are sent a letter of acceptance approximately four to five months in advance of the next available start date. A first payment is required to reserve a space in the program.
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After you apply, you can check your
to see if all of the requirements have been met or to update contact information.
Please use the temporary login ID and Personal Identification Number (PIN) that you used to complete your original online application.
Fees and Other Costs
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International Tuition Fees
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Other Costs
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Additional Information
The Culinary Arts Department has tours every Friday at the Downtown Campus in Room 305, starting at 9:30 am. All interested applicants are welcome to attend. The tour lasts approximately one hour and is very informative. Classrooms, the cafeteria and JJ's restaurant are visited. Classes are in session so applicants can see what it is like to be a culinary arts student at VCC.



