Bakery

Bakery - Training

Knowlede a Key Ingredient in Baking

The science of baking, made simple, is the aim of the New Zealand Bakers Distance Learning Courses. Courses are aligned to the New Zealand national qualifications framework, are described by Unit Standards and receive credits towards national qualifications upon completion. They are applicable worldwide and students are able to "hook on" to the New Zealand qualifications system and study a myriad of subjects including baking. Students currently part of the Industry training organisation training schemes receive substantial subsidies when studying these courses.

The courses, written by specialist baking staff at Crop & Food Research, Lincoln, provide the ‘underpinning’ knowledge’ which, with practical bakery training both on-job and at Christchurch Polytechnic’s baking school, form the new system of traineeships for the New Zealand baking industry. "Trainees are not the only ones showing an interest in the course", says its supervisor, Crop & Food cereal foods scientist, Virginia Humphrey-Taylor. A background of baking information is also proving useful to others in the cereal foods business, such a managers, flour millers, sales reps - and for bakeries looking for a handbook to help ‘troubleshoot’ baking problems.

Ms Humphrey-Taylor says the course concentrates on explaining the processes behind successful baking. "If you really understand the process you’ve got more chance of modifying it with greater predictability. It’s not just a process of trial and error".

"Flexibility is also a key ingredient in the design of the new traineeships", she says. Individual modules of the course can be taken to ‘top up’ existing knowledge; for those who have almost completed training under the old system, or who need specialised knowledge about a particular aspect of baking.

The new Unit Standards system as part of the National Qualifications Framework also allows individuals to create their own complete programme, building in study units on a range of food products and related areas.

A key part to the National Qualification in Baking should include the Bakers distance learning courses which, after an initial Bakery Technology course, is divided into six subject areas: Craft Bread, Cake & Sponges, Biscuit, Pastry, Producing selected smallgoods and Plant Bread making. The total traineeship, including practical courses and on-job training, takes about three and a half years and covers everything from ingredients and baking to quality management.

Students in Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia are also studying under the Bakers Distance Learning programme because of the convenience and quality of information.

"Crop & Food Research is ideally placed to write the courses because of their work in research, cereal testing and staff training", Ms Humphrey-Taylor says.

"This knowledge has been built up over 60 years, from our days as the Wheat Research Institute which became part of Crop & Food Research".

For more information on the course, and on Crop & Food Research’s services to bakers and schools, call Ms Yvonne Osbourne on +(64 3) 325 6400, Fax: +(64 3) 325 2074 or E-mail : osborney@crop.cri.nz