Choose Activate Learning and we will help you develop the skills, knowledge, resilience and confidence to succeed in your chosen career pathway.
Ready to kickstart or advance your career? Expand your learning horizons at our welcoming campuses - with dedicated learning spaces, industry standard facilities and experienced teachers to support you all the way.
Join us on a learning journey that will transform your career - and your future.
Discover how far you can go with our support.
Activate Learning is based at City of Oxford College.
Perfect your patisserie and confectionery craft with a programme focused on technical skill, creativity and talent.
You will improve and enhance your skills in our professional training kitchens, under the guidance of our experienced chef teachers. The course will help you to develop your existing skills, whether you are seeking to improve as a professional chef or increase confidence in your skills at home.
The programme covers a broad range of key aspects of modern professional baking and patisserie. You will learn techniques and cooking methods relevant to today’s pastry chefs, alongside relevant theory.
Teaching methods will include demonstrations from our professional industry chefs who accompany each session in our training kitchens. You will learn both contemporary and classic techniques, and your knowledge will be assessed via practical and written assessments.
The course will also improve your chances of gaining employment in the industry. A focus on commercial awareness and enterprise will assist those who are contemplating starting a business of their own.
The course is awarded by City and Guilds at Level 2 and requires no previous experience or qualifications. We offer additional qualifications in hospitality and catering from Entry level (equivalent to Key stage 3) to level 3 (equivalent to A-levels).
Train with us and you will learn in our industry standard kitchens and restaurants, serving paying customers and getting full experience of the breadth of roles within catering.
Students learn to work in a team through our brigade system, combining students from different levels.
A career pathway is a series of building blocks that will take you to your future career. This helps equip you with the skills, attributes and knowledge that future employers want, giving you a greater chance of success.
Our career pathway maps will show you the best routes through college, higher education and employment and into the most popular industry sectors.
We work in partnership with local employers, including: experienced chefs who set up live projects and large organisations who provide award winners and functions - an ideal opportunity for students to gain skills and confidence.
There are a few great chefs who are self-taught and have their own businesses, but in my professional experience, studying is the way to move forward in a career."