Trades - Apprenticeship in Professional Cook: Apprenticeship at Okanagan College in Kelowna, Canada is a trades - apprenticeship in Culinary Arts programme. The programme runs for 6 weeks, delivered on campus. Teaching is in English.
At a glance
Degree:Trades - Apprenticeship
Field:Culinary Arts
Duration: 6 weeks
Delivery: On Campus
Language: English
We have no tuition fees on record for this programme yet — see the official programme page.
— it helps other students.
This apprenticeship provides the in-class technical training for professional cooks, covering the preparation and presentation of vegetables, soups, sauces, proteins, cold kitchen items, baked goods, and desserts, alongside menu planning, food safety, sanitation, and customer service skills used in a working kitchen. Training is delivered full-time and in-person at Okanagan College's Kelowna campus across three levels: Level 1 and Level 2 each run 6 weeks, and Level 3 runs 12 weeks on a part-time basis. To enrol, an apprentice must already be registered with SkilledTradesBC, hold a valid FOODSAFE Level 1 certificate, and be employed by a food-service operation with at least one qualified journeyperson cook supervising their work-based hours. Completing the apprenticeship leads to the Red Seal professional cook credential, and apprentices attending classroom blocks may be eligible for federal tax credits and Employment Insurance support during their training. The program suits people already working in professional kitchens under employer sponsorship who are progressing through their formal cook apprenticeship, rather than newcomers looking for their first introduction to cooking.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: Professional Cook: Apprenticeship is an apprenticeship-level program at Okanagan College: admission requires the applicant to already be registered as an apprentice with SkilledTradesBC and employed by an employer with at least one qualified journeyperson in the trade. The program page notes that an applicant who is not yet registered can have their employer register them through SkilledTradesBC's online portal, described as free, simple and completable within a few minutes. No secondary-school course, grade minimum, or English-language proficiency test is stated as a requirement at this apprenticeship level; entry is administered through the SkilledTradesBC apprenticeship system and employer sponsorship rather than through the College's own academic admission requirements. Applicants must also hold a valid FOODSAFE Level 1 certificate. Applicants should confirm current registration status directly with SkilledTradesBC before applying to the program intake.
Application Details
Start Date:September
Application Deadline:Domestic applicants apply through EducationPlannerBC (a $30 CAD fee): Okanagan College sets no fixed closing date for most programmes in the 2026-27/2027-28 cycle. Applications for a Fall intake open at 8:30 a.m. on October's first business day of the preceding year, and for a Winter intake at 8:30 a.m. on February's first business day of the preceding year (exceptions apply); Practical Nursing's January intake opens at 9:00 a.m. on April's first business day of the preceding year. Most programmes accept applications until seats fill, though Nursing and Dental programmes set their own fixed or ranked deadlines on their own pages. International applicants also apply through EducationPlannerBC, paying a $100 CAD per-programme fee; the College publishes no institution-wide international closing date and directs applicants to each programme's own page. Admission is otherwise rolling. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
