Prep Cook Certificate

Be well-prepared for employment. NIC’s Prep Cook program is designed to introduce you to the basic skills, safety knowledge and job readiness to launch a career in the food services industry. The program consists of four months of hands-on training, including industry certifications in Occupational First Aid, FoodSafe and WHMIS. You will learn how to safely operate, clean and maintain common kitchen equipment and become familiar with standard culinary measurements and calculations. Learn how to prepare basic soups, stocks, sauces, vegetable dishes, salads, sandwiches, cookies and quick breads, applying food safety standards and safe work practices.

The Prep Cook Certificate Program was created in response to demand for entry-level cooks and kitchen workers across the North Island College region and this need is felt in the tourism/hospitality industry across the nation. The tourism industry is a strong component of the regional and national economy and as it grows so does the demand for cooks, kitchen helpers and other food service workers.

The program includes 358 hours of instruction and 20 hours of industry certifications to ensure you are well-prepared to work in the culinary industry and provides a solid foundation if you choose to further your studies in NIC’s Professional Cook 1, 2 and 3 program.

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Admission Requirements

Funding criteria must be met in order to participate in this program. To qualify you must be:

          - not a full-time post-secondary student
          - not a high school student
          - not participating in another Canada-British Columbia Job Fund Agreement-funded program

To Apply

Complete and submit the NIC application form.
Satisfactory completion of the Prep Cook Assessment.
Students can prepare for the Prep Cook Assessment using the Prep Cook Assessment Study Guide.
Once the assessment is completed, students may be invited to an interview.

Course Requirements

PCK - 100 Cooking Fundamentals
OFA - 010 Occupational First Aid Level 1
TFS - 010 Foodsafe Level I
WSF - 019 Orientation to WHMIS Online
Students not having current, valid First Aid, Foodsafe, and WHMIS are required to take these courses to meet program requirements. Separate fees will be charged.

In this program, students may participate in field trips to industry specific locations.

Completion Requirements

Students will be required to achieve a minimum C in PCK 100 and will be required to pass all industry certificate courses to achieve program completion requirements.