Area residents with aspirations of becoming a professional baker or pastry chef will have the opportunity to begin their educational journey as Owens Community College’s Department of Food, Nutrition and Hospitality unveils a new baking and pastry certificate program beginning spring semester 2011 on the Toledo-area campus.

“Owens Community College’s Department of Food, Nutrition and Hospitality is excited to expand our academic curriculum specific to the culinary arts concentration area and offer this region’s first baking and pastry certificate program,” said Tekla Madaras, Owens chair of Food, Nutrition and Hospitality. “The popularity of the hospitality industry has grown immensely within the last decade as a result of extremely popular cooking shows and celebrity chefs that can be found on such television networks as the Food Network and the Travel Channel. The new baking and pastry certificate program provides a higher educational opportunity for individuals to follow their passion and career aspirations within this growing field.”

Owens’ certificate in baking and pastry will require 28 credit hours of coursework, which includes quantity food preparation, recipe management, basic nutrition, baking and pastry, essentials of supervision, and purchasing and cost control, among other curriculum offerings.

The new program is designed to prepare students for various employment opportunities within the hospitality industry. Students will develop strong knowledge and an array of proficiencies specific to baking and pâtisserie skills including bread production, classic pastry production, design and creation of chocolate and sugar showpieces, creative cake decorating and fine pâtisserie.

Upon program completion, individuals will be able to apply their knowledge and skills to work in establishments such as retail bakeries, fine dining restaurants and hotels, upscale pastry and bake shops and commercial baking and entrepreneurships, among other opportunities.

In addition to the new baking and pastry certificate, the Department of Food, Nutrition and Hospitality offers associate’s degrees and certificates in culinary arts and hospitality management.

For more information about the baking and pastry certificate program, call 567-661-7214 or 1-800-GO-OWENS, ext. 7214.

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