Culinary Arts Menu
Program Information
Admission requirements
- Grade 10 or equivalent, Grade 12 preferred
- FOODSAFE Level 1 — Students may apply and be accepted to the program however; they must present evidence of successful completion of the FOODSAFE Certificate in the first week of classes.
- Successful score on ACCUPLACER
Expectations
You will be expected to help maintain heavy production schedules:
- by being punctual and consistent with attendance
- by cooperating in all team work activities
- by maintaining a positive attitude
And to help your own future employment opportunities by:
- adhering to the program dress code for the practical sessions
- maintaining a well-groomed appearance
Program design and activities
The program consists of 13 courses, many of which consist of both a theory and practical component. Practical work is carried out from Monday to Thursday, with theory work and evaluation on Friday morning. You will be required to take notes in class and study the manual and supplementary handouts. The schedule of work in the practical sessions and the theory sessions is subject to change depending on production requirements and the instructor's sense of class progress. The dress code is based on industry practices and requires all students to wear clean shirts and ties, black slacks and black shoes (no runners), and women wear clean blouses. The code is in effect Monday through Thursday. Informal but clean and tidy dress is appropriate on Friday.
Program structure
Meat 1010 | Safety and Sanitation |
Meat 1020 | Beef and Veal Carcass Processing |
Meat 1030 | Meat Science |
Meat 1040 | Pork Processing |
Meat 1050 | Lamb Processing |
Meat 1060 | Poultry Processing |
Meat 1070 | Seafood Processing |
Meat 1080 | Product Identification and Nomenclature |
Meat 1090 | Value Added Processing |
Meat 1100 | Fresh, Smoked and Cured Sausage |
Meat 1110 | Meat Nutrition and Cooking |
Meat 1120 | Customer Service and Employment Skills |
Meat 1130 | Business Related Math |
The Friday theory sessions are supplemented with guest speakers, including:
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency Inspectors
- Animal health veterinarians
- BC livestock representatives
- Brand inspectors
- Meat managers
In addition, special lectures by college staff will include:
- Resume writing
- Cooking
About half way through the program there will be seminars on public relations, customer contact and advertising. Visits to some local meatcutting operations will take place early in the program to help familiarize you with the industry. Other field trips may include visits to slaughter house operations and/or chicken processing plants.
All courses, except one, consist of instructor demonstrations followed by your own opportunity to do practical cutting. Except for the recognition of animal bone structure and of primal and secondary cuts, practical subjects are followed by supporting theory sessions that may then be combined with practical demonstrations.
Practical work experience
Starting at about the mid-point of the program, students undertake two three-week practical work experiences to get a feel for an industry setting. The instructor helps arrange this in collaboration with businesses throughout British Columbia. About half of the students are assigned work experience somewhere in Kamloops or other areas of British Columbia while the other students continue with cutting activities, sausage manufacturing and with theory portions of the program in preparation for their own field work.
Students from outside of the immediate Kamloops area are encouraged to do their work experience in their home communities.
While on practicum, students are subject to their employer's company policies. They are not paid wages, but are covered by the Workers' Compensation Board (WCB) and the Ministry of Post Secondary Education and Future Skills. The employers are responsible for completing evaluations of the students.