MANILA, Philippines - In the last few years, the Academy for International Culinary Arts or AICA has seen many of its students successfully apply their rigorous culinary training to open restaurants, work in prestigious kitchens here and abroad, or take the leap into a career change.
Even when it comes to AICA’s certificate program in Professional Baking and Pastry, enrollees have gone on to establish their own businesses or taken the helm in managing boulangeries and pastry shops.
Now with the introduction of a seven-month Diploma in Baking and the Pastry Arts program come June 2013, practicing pastry chefs as well as hobbyist bakers can now be expected to be taught everything — from the basics to honing their skills in specialized areas. They will also be kept up-to-date on new methods, ingredients, techniques and products and be taught to sharpen their business skills.
What sets AICA’s new diploma course in baking apart from programs in other schools is the student to teacher ratio. With only 14 students allowed per class, enrollees are assured they get the full attention of their teachers. More time is devoted to hands-on work during each of the daily four-hour sessions. Students can also be sure that they will be provided only premium ingredients — no cheap substitutes. In addition, with a branch in Cebu, AICA is able to offer its students the convenience of cross-enrolling.
Students can choose from three class sessions that run from Mondays to Thursdays: morning (8 a.m.-2 noon), afternoon (1-5 p.m.), and evening (5:30-9:30 p.m). There are also morning and afternoon classes every Saturday.
Included in the enrollment fee are all ingredients, hand-outs, research aids, chef consultations, externship, national culinary competition, breads & pastries grand buffet, qualification exams, national qualification exam, career guidance and placement seminars.
“With the interest today in artisanal breads and pastries of all kinds, our diploma program in Baking and the Pastry Arts answers the demand of our students,†says Eric Mendoza of AICA.
AICA has campuses in Pasig City, Metro Manila and Cebu. In Manila, call +02.6710276 to 77 and 02.6722271; email manila@aicaculinary.com. In Cebu, call +632.2685636; email cebu@aicaculinary.com or aicacebu@yahoo.com. For more inform-ation, visit www.aicaculinary.com.