A new apprenticeship programme is giving young Saint Lucians the opportunity to develop the practical and professional skills needed to pursue careers in the baking industry.
The Careers in the Baking Industry Apprenticeship Programme, implemented by the Saint Lucia Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (SLCTVET), brings together the Ministry of Commerce and the Bakers Association of Saint Lucia, with financial support from the Local Engagement and Action Fund (LEAF) and Global Affairs Canada.
The programme has attracted young men and women from across the island, who are being trained in both the technical competencies of baking and the transversal skills required to succeed in the workplace.
Participants are gaining hands-on experience at bakeries in Dennery, Vieux Fort, Soufrière, Castries and Gros Islet, while also attending classes at the National Skills Development Centre (NSDC).
Facilitator of the class, Symphorosa Bailey, noted that the NSDC sessions complement the apprentices’ workplace experience by reinforcing the knowledge and skills they acquire on the job. Bailey explained that the training at the NSDC is “reinforcing what they have learnt”, while helping participants to build on their practical experience.
The programme is ultimately intended to prepare participants to meet the basic standards required by the Saint Lucia TVET Council and equip them with the skills necessary to work in the culinary arts environment.
“The feedback has been phenomenal. Enrolled now we have about 27 students,” according to Bailey, describing the response to the programme as “overwhelmingly successful.”
Beyond the technical aspects of baking, the programme also focuses on the interpersonal and professional skills required in a workplace.
NSDC Training Manager Barry Williams said these competencies are essential to helping participants function effectively in a professional environment expressing that “some of the competencies that they have to gain require the inclusion of soft skills.” Williams notes that participants will also spend time in the NSDC training kitchen to strengthen the practical skills they are developing at the bakeries.
“We’ll also be looking at some of the hands on competencies right here in our training kitchen to support what they’re learning on the job and to ensure that they’re adequately collating their information about what they have been learning so they can prove that they’ve gained the skills required for certification.”
The programme has also been structured to ensure that young people from different parts of the island have access to the opportunity.
At the end of the programme, participants are expected to emerge with a combination of workplace experience, technical training and soft skills that can help position them for certification and future employment in Saint Lucia’s baking industry.