PENNSAUKEN, NJ — Puratos US and the Puratos Bakery School Foundation held the grand opening ceremony of the first US Bakery School at Pennsauken High School on Sept. 7.
“We are thrilled to have the next Bakery School located at Pennsauken High School, just steps from our US headquarters,” said Andy Brimacombe, president of Puratos US and Pennant Ingredients. “We see a need for skilled talent to fill leadership positions in bakeries and baked goods manufacturing throughout the country. The impact these students can have on our industry and we on their futures is exponential.”
The inaugural class of 59 students — the largest Puratos Bakery School class to date — were welcomed in a white chef coat ceremony marking their induction into the program. Representatives from Puratos, the American Bakers Association (ABA) and the local community were in attendance to celebrate and tour the custom-designed facility.
“ABA welcomes these students, and the many more to come, into our community of baking. In it, we know they will find the path to a lifelong, fulfilling career,” said Robb MacKie, president and CEO of ABA. “We congratulate Puratos and the Pennsauken Board of Education for working on this necessary initiative, even throughout the pandemic, and involving our organization from the beginning. We are honored to have been a part and to be able to attend its grand opening.”
While other educational programs were considered for the placement of Puratos’ program, Brimacombe noted that Pennsauken High School stood out for its well-established Continuing Technical Education (CTE) program, which already featured a culinary arts path. The addition of the Bakery School to Pennsauken High School’s CTE program grants students the resources and technical education they need to enter the baking industry after completing the curriculum.“
“Educators across the country are seeing the benefits of skills-based learning programs,” said Ronnie Tarchichi, superintendent of Pennsauken Schools. “We see higher graduation rates in CTE students, and comparable lifetime incomes to students who go on to earn bachelor’s degrees. This partnership with Puratos US and the program they have developed will create an incomparable opportunity for our students.”
Throughout the four-year program, students take classes in bakery, patisserie and chocolate that provide key knowledge on topics like hygiene, food safety, manufacturing practices, ingredients and more. In addition to hands-on experience, students get the opportunity to apply to internships in the baking industry and with Puratos clients.
Inspired by the company’s Innovations Centers, Brimacombe describes the classroom as a cross between a bakery and the laboratory where Puratos’ customers create their own bakery products.
“It’s all of the equipment that you would expect to see in a bakery — mixers, proofing equipment, ovens and all of the supplies that the students need to create bakery and sweet goods products,” he said.
Moving forward, Puratos and the Puratos Bakery School Foundation plan to further expand this Bakery School program. Currently, there are 360 students enrolled in seven schools and the company hopes that by 2030, it will complete its objective to have 1000 students enrolled in the program.
As the US is the largest bakery market in the world, Brimacombe believes there are opportunities to replicate the Bakery School model across the country. He hopes that the Bakery School provides additional skilled workers to support the baking industry at it faces the increasing challenge of labor shortages.
“We believe in our methods and our products, and we think they can make a difference for consumers everywhere,” Brimacombe said. “The more people who are trained in them and know about them, the better. The Bakery School provides a vehicle to do just that.”
