Higher Certificate in Pastry and Bakery

Purpose

The purpose of this qualification is to provide learners with a qualification to accumulate excellent foundational skills, practical experience and specific knowledge which will enable them to pursue Management and Entrepreneurial careers or Culinary careers in traditional hotels, restaurants and food retailing and franchising outlets.

The qualification has been developed in close consultation with role-players within the South African Hospitality Industry to ensure that its content is relevant and accessible. This qualification emphasises the need for professionalism, leadership and strong management and lays a foundation for future career advancement in the Hospitality Industry.

Upon completion learners will

• Be conversant with occupational health and safety and hygiene legislation and the responsibilities of individuals.
• Gain knowledge and understanding of the range of ingredients used within the patisserie section and the effect that ingredients have on each other in delivering high quality end products to customers.
• Be able to prepare, cook and finish pastry and bakery products (i.e. short pastes, laminated pastes, yeast products, chemical leavened products, cakes, sponges, cookies and biscuits), as well to be able to correctly assess the quality aspects of each end product.
• Have an understanding of and the ability to prepare, cook and finish dessert preparations (i.e. cold dessert, frozen desserts, fruit desserts, hot puddings, dessert sauces), as well as the intricacies of designing and plating balanced dessert plates.
• Demonstrate skill and knowledge in using singular and/or mixtures of ingredients to create decorative pieces (i.e. sugar craft, paste decorative media such as tuiles and wafers, chocolate, marzipan, meringues and meringue sponges) as well understand the application of these with pastry and bakery produce as well as plated desserts.
• Have mechanisms to deal with operational pressures (timing, quality, and communications) and be able to prepare and cook to the standards of the host organisation.
• Demonstrate skills and artistry needed for the production of friandise and petit fours (i.e. sweets and whipped sweets made from chocolate, sugar, pastries and jellies).

Rationale

The Hospitality and Tourism Industry contributes to the economic growth of South Africa. Due to the increases in tourist arrivals, the demand for food and beverage professionals continues to increase. Furthermore, in recent years the demand for "kitchen specific" training has grown appreciably. This qualification supports the demands of the industry and responds to the needs of a substantial number of young persons who want to pursue a career in culinary.

This qualification enables graduates to join a good professional kitchen or assume a junior chef position. The qualification grants entry to the Advanced Certificate in Kitchen Management which enables learners to embark upon a management pathway in the sector.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

If learners are able to demonstrate competence in an area of study equivalent to the level specified in the Exit-Level Outcomes of the qualification then such learners may be rewarded with credits. The Academic Board may exempt some learners from class but learners will be required to sit for the examinations. A request for credits towards a qualification should be made in writing to the Principal.

Learners without a Certificate in Professional Cookery can through RPL register for the qualification on the condition that they have prior work experience of 2 years in Culinary Arts or 1 year in Pastry and Bakery.

Entry Requirements

The minimum entrance requirements are

• National Senior Certificate (NSC) allowing entry to Higher Certificate studies.

Or

• Senior Certificate (SC).

Or

• National Certificate Vocational (NCV) at NQF Level 4 allowing entry to Higher Certificate studies.

This qualification consists of compulsory modules at NQF Level 5 totalling 120 Credits.

Modules

• Safety at Work, 10 Credits.
• Introduction to Pastry and bakery 4 Credits.
• Pastry and Bakery Products, 30 Credits.
• WIL - Pastry and Bakery I, 14 Credits.
• Dessert Preparation and Construction, 16 Credits.
• Decorative Media, 6 Credits.
• Molecular gastronomy, 4 Credits.
• Business Communications, 4 Credits.
• Confectionary, 6 Credits.
• Cost and revenue control, 12 Credits.
• Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Pastry and Bakery II, 14 Credits.

1. Demonstrate the ability to prepare, cook and finish pastry and bakery products.
2. Develop skill and knowledge in using singular and or mixtures of ingredients to create decorative pieces.
3. Demonstrate understanding of relevant occupational health and safety and hygiene legislation.
4. Develop mechanisms to deal with operational pressures (timing, quality, and communications) and practice preparation and cooking techniques to the standards of the host organisation.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• Knowledge and understanding of the range of ingredients used in the department of patisserie are demonstrated.
• The effect that ingredients have on each other in delivering high quality end products to customers is understood.
• Biscuits, cakes, sponge products, pastry products and dough products are prepared, cooked and finished.
• Dessert preparations such as cold dessert, frozen desserts, fruit desserts, hot puddings, dessert sauces are prepared, cooked and finished.
• The quality aspects of each end product are correctly assessed before dispatching.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• The intricacies of designing and plating balanced dessert plates are understood and applied.
• Sugar work, chocolate work, Fondant, Marzipan and Pastillage, Snaps, Tuiles and Coquina are prepared and finished.
• The skills and artistry in the production of friandese, petit fours, whipped sweets and sweets made from chocolate, sugar, and jellies are shown.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• Knowledge of processes and procedure to identify hazards is demonstrated.
• The risks are assessed.
• The cleanliness and safety of the workforce and guests are ensured.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

• Different baking methods and the making and application of frosting are described and demonstrated.
• The various standards that are established to enhance product quality are adhered to.
• The art and science of pastry and bakery preparation are discussed and demonstrated.

Integrated Assessment

Assessment practices are open, transparent, fair, valid and reliable and ensure that no learner is disadvantaged in any way whatsoever, so that an integrated approach to assessment is incorporated into the qualification.

The learner's ability to integrate the elements of the qualification is assessed through group discussions, case studies, projects, presentations, reports and practical sessions using both formative and summative assessment.

Types of assessments may entail class tests and a test at the end of each semester, work based learning and an internship. The methods are chosen in order to integrate assessment of knowledge, skills, attitudes and values, as shown in the qualification.

Learning, teaching and assessment are interwoven, with the focus on the achievement of the exit-level outcomes. The process is designed to help to relate the theory and knowledge to the practical skills needed in the Culinary Industry, as this integration is often seen as a gap that exists between training institutions and the industry. In order to guide learners in the development of cognitive skills and their ability to use their knowledge and skills on a supervisory level, the division between lower cognitive level assessment (knowledge, insight, application) and higher cognitive level assessment (synthesis, analysis and evaluation) will be as follows: 60% lower level and 40% higher level.