Red Seal certified Cooks are currently in great demand throughout Canada. WorkBC currently lists Cooks as its top demand trade for 2018-2028 with 11,490 anticipated job openings. In New Brunswick, Cooks are on the Provincial Nominee Program occupation in-demand list for those wanting to immigrate to Canada and in Newfoundland, food services has one of the largest job vacancy rates in that province.
So why become a cook? Cooks prepare, cook, season and prepare a wide variety of foods such as meat, fish, poultry, game, pasta, dairy products, vegetables and baked goods. They plan menus, they estimate food requirements, they estimate costs in addition to actually preparing and handling food. Their work is very varied and there are so many opportunities for growth and advancement.
Cooks are generally employed in the hospitality industry (hotels, restaurants, cruise ships) but many other job opportunities exist in institutions (hospitals, universities, colleges, military bases). And those that choose self-employment, can look forward to an exciting career in private catering or owning their own restaurant.
Cooks must have a good sense of creativity, be precise in their work and have a good memory for details. Working daily with recipes, they must be able to remember ingredients, quantities, cooking times, serving portions etc. Very often cooks are called upon to create special recipes for those who have allergies and special dietary requirements. Being a cook also means that you are often working with a team of others so good communication skills are very important.
Qualifying as a cook can be the start of a very exciting lifetime career with many opportunities for advancement including becoming an executive chef, a banquet manager, general food manager and even opening your own restaurant.
The Red Seal Program sets common standards of trades skills across Canada. Tradespeople who have successfully passed a Red Seal examination qualify to have their provincial or territorial trade certificate endorsed with a Red Seal endorsement. This demonstrates to employers that the tradesperson has reached the national standard for that trade. Red Seal tradespeople can work throughout Canada and can usually expect to receive higher compensation.
The Red Seal Cook examination is based on the National Occupational Analysis for that trade. The analysis is divided into main areas or blocks and each block is divided into tasks and sub-tasks. There are 12 main areas or blocks with a total of 150 multiple choice questions on the examination. Preparing to take the examination is highly recommended especially if you have not completed an apprenticeship program or do not hold a provincial or territorial certificate of qualification. Tradespeople who have gained their knowledge and experience in countries outside Canada and those who have not studied for a while are especially advised to attend an examination preparation course with a qualified Red Seal tradesperson. Cook Red Seal exam prep course will help students become familiar with the format of the exam; the types of questions that they can anticipate and clarify examination material content.
Plan to become a red seal cook today! You will not regret it.
