Trades - Apprenticeship in Cook Apprenticeship

The Cook Apprenticeship at Red Deer Polytechnic is a three-year, part-time program delivered in the Work and Training Schedule (W.A.T.S.) format, combining one day per week of on-campus classroom instruction (40 weeks per year) with a minimum of 1,560 hours of on-the-job training. Coursework covers modern and classical cuisine, food preparation, nutrition, food costing and sanitation for restaurants, hotels, catering firms and other food-service settings. Students complete three 12-month training periods and must achieve a weighted average of 65%, with no section under 50%, plus a minimum grade of 70% on the Apprenticeship and Industry Training (AIT) Provincial Exam for each period. Graduates earn a Journeyperson Certificate and become eligible for the interprovincial Red Seal endorsement after passing the Red Seal Exam, allowing them to work as a Cook anywhere in Canada. Training is delivered on-campus. The program suits students who want to combine paid kitchen employment with structured trade education rather than a full-time culinary diploma.