EIT students put skills to the test in baking sale

Student bakers selling their baking to the public on the EIT campus. Photo / Warren Buckland

It was their first baking day sale to the public, where students got to show off why almost all of them will get a job when finished their course.

"That is pretty rare these days — a success story," Stefan says, who has been in his role as bakery tutor at EIT for four years.

The Level 4 Certificate in Baking is a fulltime course running from February until November. The recent baking sale was part of an assessment which took place over several weeks.

"It gave students the opportunity to meet their customers and produce bakery goods on a larger scale," Stefan says.

Bakers in the course range in age from 20 to mid-40s, including both domestic and international students.

Stefan says they get the chance to experience the real world of baking which sets them up for future careers in any area of the baking and hospitality industry .

"Baking not only gives students the chance to learn some amazing skills, it opens the door to numerous different career options from restaurants to cafes, not just here in New Zealand but also all around the world. There is more to baking than just making bread."

The sale was promoted to all staff at EIT as well as the students' family and friends. A selection of meat pies, fruit tarts, bread, cakes, biscuits and pastries flew off the shelves during the two hour sale.

Stefan says students enjoy the practicality of the course, learning new skills and being able to put this into action through experiences such as the shop day. As for his part, he enjoys passing on the skills of artisan baking to the next generation of bakers.

"So we don't forget how to bake our daily bread."