About this apprenticeship
What it involves
The Baker apprenticeship teaches the core craft skills needed to produce a wide range of breads, pastries and baked goods to professional standards. Apprentices learn about ingredients, fermentation, baking science and food hygiene in real bakery environments. It can lead to senior baker, team leader or specialist artisan baker roles.
On the job
What you’ll learn
Properties of flour, yeast, fats and other ingredients
Dough mixing, shaping and fermentation techniques
Oven management and baking temperatures
Food hygiene, allergen awareness and safety
Cake, pastry and bread production methods
Stock control and ingredient measurements
Presentation and finishing of baked products
On the job
What you’ll do day to day
Weigh and prepare ingredients to recipe specifications
Mix, knock back and shape doughs by hand and machine
Prove and monitor dough at the correct temperature
Load, set and monitor ovens for different products
Decorate and finish breads, cakes and pastries
Carry out opening and closing hygiene checks
Rotate stock and flag low ingredient levels
The deal
How this apprenticeship works
You earn a wage from day one. You are a paid employee, not a student. There are no tuition fees - the training is funded by your employer and the government.
About 20% is “off-the-job” training. Roughly a day a week is spent learning away from your normal duties - at a college, training provider, or online - working towards a recognised qualification.
It ends with an end-point assessment (EPA). Near the end, an independent assessor checks you can do the job to the national standard - through tests, a project, a portfolio or an interview. Pass it and you are fully qualified.
How to get there
What you need to start
Level 2 (Intermediate) - roughly GCSE level. Often open with few or no formal qualifications - a strong first step. Some employers ask for a couple of GCSEs.
What’s next: Typically leads on to a Level 3 (Advanced) apprenticeship.
Entry requirements are set by each employer and can vary - always check the specific vacancy.
Hear from employers
What it’s really like
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