Advanced Culinary Arts
Serious about becoming a world-class chef? Our International Diploma in Advanced Culinary Arts is the perfect recipe for success. Learn the latest culinary skills from Olympic chefs and secure an internship in a Michelin-star or award-winning restaurant – either in New Zealand or Spain! This revolutionary programme will set you apart and can launch your career not just here, but anywhere in the world.
Who can enrol?
If you are 18 years or older and aspiring to become a senior chef, this is the ideal qualification. You’ll need an IELTS score of 5.5, with no band lower than 5.0.
What will I learn?
Through hands-on training in our high-end commercial and science kitchens, you’ll gain the culinary skills you need to make it to the top in this industry. Learn from award-winning chefs and create innovative international dishes that will set you apart in any kitchen.
You will cover:
- Advanced preparation, cookery and presentation of pastry and larder dishes
- Advanced planning and production of meat, poultry and fish dishes
- Advanced dishes and menus for events, functions and commercial kitchens
- Management of operating procedures, compliance requirements and staff relationships
- Internship at a top restaurant
Internship
As part of the course, you’ll have the opportunity to secure an internship in a commercial kitchen or bakery, where you’ll gain invaluable work experience. This internship is a crucial component of your qualification and can be either paid or unpaid. It offers a unique chance to test your skills in a real work environment and prepare you for your future career.
Year 1: 80 hours of internship
Year 2: 150 hours of internship
What qualifications will I gain?
Year 1 | 120 Credits | New Zealand Certificate in Cookery (Level 4)
Year 2 | 120 Credits | New Zealand Diploma in Cookery (Advanced) (Level 5) with strands in Cookery, and Patisserie
Where will this take me?
This qualification can take you to the top! You’ll have the skills to create advanced dishes in any professional kitchen – and the industry experience to back it up. This is the golden ticket to your dream job as a senior chef in New Zealand or overseas.
Never before in history has food been such a big deal. What was once merely fuel to power our bodies, is now a multi-billion-dollar industry. This global foodie frenzy means one thing – training in culinary arts is a very smart move. There’s a huge shortage of qualified chefs in New Zealand – in fact it’s on Immigration New Zealand’s long-term skill shortage list.
By 2025 visitor numbers to New Zealand will be close to 5 million, and thousands more chefs will be needed. They’ll be needed in restaurants and hotels, cafes, bars, and catering companies. They’ll be needed in fast food joints, hospitals, retirement homes, schools, and government buildings. For chefs with talent, passion, and a qualification, the options are vast.
What makes a great chef?
As well as having an aptitude for cooking and a flair for food presentation, successful chefs need a wide range of other skills. During meal service kitchens can be frantic, so the ability to stay calm under pressure, and work quickly is crucial. The hours are long and often include evenings and weekends, so flexibility and stamina are prerequisites. Sound knowledge of everything from food safety to nutrition is a must, and chefs need to be able to work well as a team.
There are several other professional skills and personal attributes that will help set chefs on the path to promotion, including:
- knowledge of budgeting and stock management
- ability to price and plan menus
- leadership skills and ability to train and supervise staff
- cross-cultural awareness
- efficient record keeping
- keeping ahead of the latest developments in nutrition, food technology and cooking techniques
- be reliable, adaptable and highly-organised
- be strong and fit
- excellent communication skills
Employment opportunities
This is a high-demand sector with lots of exciting job opportunities, so once qualified, the chances of getting a good job are excellent. Start off as a commis chef. You’ll earn between minimum wage and $18 an hour and work across all areas of the kitchen, preparing and cooking food and sometimes washing dishes and cleaning. Work your way up, and your salary and areas of responsibility will increase accordingly.
Chefs de partie usually earn $18 – $20 an hour and are in charge of one section of the kitchen. They train and supervise staff, plan menus and order food. Sous chefs are second-in-charge of the kitchen, and earn $18 – $25 an hour, while head chefs (or executive chefs) are responsible for the entire kitchen and could earn anything from $22 – $49 per hour.
While many chefs master their craft in restaurants, cafes and hotels, there are plenty of other workplaces that require the skills of a culinary arts professional, such as:
- bars and taverns
- cruise ships
- corporate catering firms
- hospital kitchens
- airport catering companies
- bakeries
- fast food outlets
Or branch out into other food related areas – start your own business, become a food product developer or an artisan food producer.
The tourism and hospitality sector is currently New Zealand’s second largest export earner. Overseas visitor numbers have doubled every decade since 1970, topping 3.7 million in the year ending January 2018. And that number looks set to keep rising. Tourism spending is forecast to grow to 15.3 billion in 2023, and visitor numbers will rise by 39%. Each one of those visitors will need tourism staff, hospitality professionals and chefs to cater to their needs.
Sources: www.careers.govt.nz, www.newzealandnow.govt.nz
