The last year of the decade arrived with a bang amidst a lot of excitement and the fireworks still continue. We are experiencing a period unlike any other that we have witnessed in our lifetime; where the world literally came to a halt, a pause, for the past few months.
For some families, it was truly tragic as they lost some of their beloveds. For some, the testing times continue as the situation took away their livelihoods and brought in despair & desperation. For some lucky ones the lockdown was a situation when they got to themselves the thing, they needed the most – the gift of TIME.
A lot of options were explored, dreams chased and newer passions discovered. With the entire families compulsorily being confined to their homes, meal-times became fun & bonding occasions. Food became the center focus at the table. Many found great solace in the kitchen and uncovered a skill unbeknownst to them – homemakers got creative following YouTube videos, men got involved in the art of culinary, young boys & girls realized that they enjoyed making food more than craning their necks designing a blueprint and the amateurs simply got better with what they were already dishing out.
A Chef is Born!
Not every calamity comes with destruction. Some come with opportunities too. And so if you find yourself now musing over your new found talent and want to take it to the next level, maybe even turn it into a career, NOW is the time.
Unlike in the past where ‘cooking’ wasn’t considered a great career option and chefs were just made in the kitchen by way of work experience over the years; the scene is entirely different now. There are specialized institutions that offer Certificates, Diplomas & Degrees in the field of Culinary Arts that clearly demarcate the difference between a cook and a Professional Chef. Needless to say, to take up a career in The Culinary Arts you would now need to take up a program that equips and qualifies you as a professional in the Industry.
A recognized qualification is a prerequisite these days for career advancement in the kitchen and which leads us to the most critical point in the decision-making Which Culinary School will be the best to give you a good head start and progression in the years ahead?
Tough choice that one, but if the training institute has all the requirements in place to help mould and hone you as a chef, you can’t go wrong. Especially if you choose to opt for one of the top culinary schools to learn.
If the kitchen beckons you now, the International Centre for Culinary Arts - ICCA Dubai, ranked amongst the Top 10 Culinary Schools in the World is one such school that checks all the indicators listed below, to help ascertain that you have opted for the finest of the training institutes.
Here are ten good reasons that make ICCA Dubai the preferred institute by students and industry chefs alike.
1. Accreditation & RecognitionsIt goes without saying that any good institute is primarily evaluated from its Accreditation & Recognitions.
The ICCA Dubai has both an Approved and Accredited Centre status from the City & Guilds, London. Established in 1878, City & Guilds is the World’s largest Vocational Education Awarding Body & certifies over 1.3 Million students annually around the globe and helps increase value proposition and competitiveness within the global market.
City & Guilds qualifications are a global benchmark for vocational excellence, integrity & quality assessment and come along with the City & Guilds Europass Certificate Supplement. City & Guilds Accreditation is recognized as a sign of quality in over 100 countries around the world!
The ICCA Dubai has been featured amongst the “Top 10 Culinary Institutes in the World” and awarded the “Recognition of Quality Culinary Education” by the World Association of Chefs Societies (WorldChefs), a Global Authority on Food Standards.
The “Recognition of Quality Culinary Education” award seeks to recognize the training and education that meet or exceeds the Culinary Standards Education established by WorldChefs.
The WorldChefs recognition provides a competitive advantage and assures employers of a candidate’s Quality Culinary Education.
All Programs delivered at The ICCA are recognized by The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), Ministry of Education, Government of Dubai.
2. International Chef Instructors
With a cohort of International Chef Instructors from across the globe and who amongst them carry several decades years of invaluable experience working in the industry as stalwarts in their own right, they not only teach but also guide the students to carry on the legacy that they have in turn inherited from their mentors.
3. Curriculum & Training
The intensive Vocational Education Training (VET) program of 620 hours of intensive guided learning in Classical Continental Cuisine and industry-centered training is delivered by City & Guilds London certified trainers.
At the end of the program, the students are awarded the City & Guilds London - Level 2 Diploma in Food Preparation and Cooking (Culinary Arts) (8065-02).
The Advanced Diploma, City & Guilds London - Level 3 Advanced Diploma in Food Preparation and Cookery Supervision (8065-04), is for those who aspire to set up a restaurant, cafe and helps one to progress into a supervisory post within the Food Production industry or even become successful Entrepreneurs.
Specialization Options
Additionally, with an array of courses being offered at The ICCA, the student has the choice of adding a niche skill to his repertoire in addition to the Professional Diploma. Sugarcraft, Artisan Bread & Chocolate, Gelato, Pizza and now the Cocktail-Zero (dry mixology & bartending) are some of the many courses that can be additionally taken to up-skill oneself.
4. An Award-Winning Facility
The ICCA boasts of a state-of-the-art and World Class Facility built in Dubai Knowledge Park (DKP) & is amongst the finest institutes from around the world. The DKP is the world’s only Free Zone that is dedicated to learning excellence.
Located in Dubai, which is globally considered the hub of World Class Hospitality, The ICCA gives its students the exposure and the opportunity to work in some of the finest Hotel & Restaurants in the world.
5. Industry Exposure
The ICCA is actively involved in a lot of industry events throughout the year and provides Student Chefs with valuable ‘hands-on’ involvement in the industry-working environment throughout the course & training.
The famous Taste of Dubai, Taste of Abu Dhabi, Restaurant Development Conference at Middle East Food Forum, WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017, several Culinary competitions & Electrolux events to name a few.
6. The Industry Work Experience & Placement Program
The ICCA Dubai - Industry Work Experience Placement (IWEP) Program is an industry integration program specially designed for students wishing to join the industry as Professional Chefs.
The said IWEP includes all aspects of employability training such as Interview Preparations, Personality Development - All-round Grooming & Poise, Industry Attitude & Confidence Building, Technical Knowledge Reinforcement, and Trade Test Taking to help the Student Chefs seamlessly integrate, effectively deliver and excel in the workplace.
Furthermore, a dedicated IWEP team also ensures Alumni support and pathways to further career advancement at all times.
7. Strategic Partnerships
The ICCA Dubai has strategic partnerships with many of the worlds leading Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM’s), Suppliers and Training Resource Providers to help provide the highest quality Industry Standard Training and expose the Student Chefs to latest technology and international operation trends.
8. Winner of Several Awards
9. Industry Influencer
Making Lives Happen... Student Chef Jennah Bernadette Sanchez, Chef De Partie, Hell’s Kitchen, Caesars Bluewaters Dubai.
“I am currently working at The Caesars Palace Bluewaters Dubai, in Hell’s Kitchen by Gordon Ramsay Restaurants.
Though working in the Gordon Ramsay group is big on my CV, but then graduating from a well known culinary school like the ICCA Dubai has definitely helped me achieve my goals and boost my career.
It was always my dream to study in a good culinary school, but I could have never afforded the fees. However, ICCA gave me that opportunity I had never imagined!”
ICCA Dubai Culinary Scholarship Program, the annual over 'One Million Dirham Continuing Education Award' for the young industry chefs in the UAE is an internationally acclaimed initiative executed in strategic partnership with the City & Guilds, London, Emirates Culinary Guild and the Worldchefs - World Association of Chefs' Societies. The program is designed to bridge the skills gap across the industry while empowering the deserving chefs with an international qualification to bring about a total transformation in their lives.
This program is ICCA's commitment to educate the talented & deserving, but financially underprivileged young chefs in the UAE Hospitality Industry.
The ICCA's, first of its kind, Innovative Education Industry Initiative - Dubai Culinary Scholarship, One Million Dirham Continuing Education Award for UAE Young Industry Chefs continues to be even more recognized by both the Hospitality Industry in the UAE as well as the Chef Associations & Culinary Industry across the world.
The Scholarship Program for the UAE Young Industry Chefs is all about educating, training & certifying talented and deserving, but financially underprivileged young chefs in the UAE Hospitality Industry.
The Scholarship Program is a tangible step to help bridge the skills gap across the industry and is also designed to share the vast knowledge, experience, expertise of Industry Experts, to develop a socially inclusive working environment for the long-term.
This Education - Industry initiative is all about Changing Lives of those chosen few, to bring about a Total Transformation not only in the lives of the people who are educated & trained but also help alleviate the lives of the families that depend upon them.
The proactiveness of the UAE's leadership in the management of the COVID-19 crisis has resulted in the absolute containment of the pandemic in the country, along with the top of the line facilities offered, making it one of the safest countries in the world to live in during these uncertain times.
Your safety and wellbeing is paramount for us. Hence, we at the ICCA Dubai have enforced all the COVID-19 prevention & precautionary measures and protocols in line with the latest directives from the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), Government of Dubai, and here are some of the standard practices that are strictly followed at the ICCA Dubai on a daily basis -
As the fear of COVID recedes and life bounces back, we are here to make sure you are safe, secure, and confident as you embark on your culinary learning journey.
The last year of the decade arrived with a bang amidst a lot of excitement and the fireworks still continue. We are experiencing a period unlike any other that we have witnessed in our lifetime; where the world literally came to a halt, a pause, for the past few months.
For some families, it was truly tragic as they lost some of their beloveds. For some, the testing times continue as the situation took away their livelihoods and brought in despair & desperation. For some lucky ones the lockdown was a situation when they got to themselves the thing, they needed the most – the gift of TIME.
A lot of options were explored, dreams chased and newer passions discovered. With the entire families compulsorily being confined to their homes, meal-times became fun & bonding occasions. Food became the center focus at the table. Many found great solace in the kitchen and uncovered a skill unbeknownst to them – homemakers got creative following YouTube videos, men got involved in the art of culinary, young boys & girls realized that they enjoyed making food more than craning their necks designing a blueprint and the amateurs simply got better with what they were already dishing out.
A Chef is Born!
Not every calamity comes with destruction. Some come with opportunities too. And so if you find yourself now musing over your new found talent and want to take it to the next level, maybe even turn it into a career, NOW is the time.
Unlike in the past where ‘cooking’ wasn’t considered a great career option and chefs were just made in the kitchen by way of work experience over the years; the scene is entirely different now. There are specialized institutions that offer Certificates, Diplomas & Degrees in the field of Culinary Arts that clearly demarcate the difference between a cook and a Professional Chef. Needless to say, to take up a career in The Culinary Arts you would now need to take up a program that equips and qualifies you as a professional in the Industry.
A recognized qualification is a prerequisite these days for career advancement in the kitchen and which leads us to the most critical point in the decision-making Which Culinary School will be the best to give you a good head start and progression in the years ahead?
Tough choice that one, but if the training institute has all the requirements in place to help mould and hone you as a chef, you can’t go wrong. Especially if you choose to opt for one of the top culinary schools to learn.
If the kitchen beckons you now, the International Centre for Culinary Arts - ICCA Dubai, ranked amongst the Top 10 Culinary Schools in the World is one such school that checks all the indicators listed below, to help ascertain that you have opted for the finest of the training institutes.
Here are ten good reasons that make ICCA Dubai the preferred institute by students and industry chefs alike.
1. Accreditation & RecognitionsIt goes without saying that any good institute is primarily evaluated from its Accreditation & Recognitions.
The ICCA Dubai has both an Approved and Accredited Centre status from the City & Guilds, London. Established in 1878, City & Guilds is the World’s largest Vocational Education Awarding Body & certifies over 1.3 Million students annually around the globe and helps increase value proposition and competitiveness within the global market.
City & Guilds qualifications are a global benchmark for vocational excellence, integrity & quality assessment and come along with the City & Guilds Europass Certificate Supplement. City & Guilds Accreditation is recognized as a sign of quality in over 100 countries around the world!
The ICCA Dubai has been featured amongst the “Top 10 Culinary Institutes in the World” and awarded the “Recognition of Quality Culinary Education” by the World Association of Chefs Societies (WorldChefs), a Global Authority on Food Standards.
The “Recognition of Quality Culinary Education” award seeks to recognize the training and education that meet or exceeds the Culinary Standards Education established by WorldChefs.
The WorldChefs recognition provides a competitive advantage and assures employers of a candidate’s Quality Culinary Education.
All Programs delivered at The ICCA are recognized by The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), Ministry of Education, Government of Dubai.
2. International Chef Instructors
With a cohort of International Chef Instructors from across the globe and who amongst them carry several decades years of invaluable experience working in the industry as stalwarts in their own right, they not only teach but also guide the students to carry on the legacy that they have in turn inherited from their mentors.
3. Curriculum & Training
The intensive Vocational Education Training (VET) program of 620 hours of intensive guided learning in Classical Continental Cuisine and industry-centered training is delivered by City & Guilds London certified trainers.
At the end of the program, the students are awarded the City & Guilds London - Level 2 Diploma in Food Preparation and Cooking (Culinary Arts) (8065-02).
The Advanced Diploma, City & Guilds London - Level 3 Advanced Diploma in Food Preparation and Cookery Supervision (8065-04), is for those who aspire to set up a restaurant, cafe and helps one to progress into a supervisory post within the Food Production industry or even become successful Entrepreneurs.
Specialization Options
Additionally, with an array of courses being offered at The ICCA, the student has the choice of adding a niche skill to his repertoire in addition to the Professional Diploma. Sugarcraft, Artisan Bread & Chocolate, Gelato, Pizza and now the Cocktail-Zero (dry mixology & bartending) are some of the many courses that can be additionally taken to up-skill oneself.
4. An Award-Winning Facility
The ICCA boasts of a state-of-the-art and World Class Facility built in Dubai Knowledge Park (DKP) & is amongst the finest institutes from around the world. The DKP is the world’s only Free Zone that is dedicated to learning excellence.
Located in Dubai, which is globally considered the hub of World Class Hospitality, The ICCA gives its students the exposure and the opportunity to work in some of the finest Hotel & Restaurants in the world.
5. Industry Exposure
The ICCA is actively involved in a lot of industry events throughout the year and provides Student Chefs with valuable ‘hands-on’ involvement in the industry-working environment throughout the course & training.
The famous Taste of Dubai, Taste of Abu Dhabi, Restaurant Development Conference at Middle East Food Forum, WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017, several Culinary competitions & Electrolux events to name a few.
6. The Industry Work Experience & Placement Program
The ICCA Dubai - Industry Work Experience Placement (IWEP) Program is an industry integration program specially designed for students wishing to join the industry as Professional Chefs.
The said IWEP includes all aspects of employability training such as Interview Preparations, Personality Development - All-round Grooming & Poise, Industry Attitude & Confidence Building, Technical Knowledge Reinforcement, and Trade Test Taking to help the Student Chefs seamlessly integrate, effectively deliver and excel in the workplace.
Furthermore, a dedicated IWEP team also ensures Alumni support and pathways to further career advancement at all times.
7. Strategic Partnerships
The ICCA Dubai has strategic partnerships with many of the worlds leading Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM’s), Suppliers and Training Resource Providers to help provide the highest quality Industry Standard Training and expose the Student Chefs to latest technology and international operation trends.
8. Winner of Several Awards
9. Industry Influencer
Making Lives Happen... Student Chef Jennah Bernadette Sanchez, Chef De Partie, Hell’s Kitchen, Caesars Bluewaters Dubai.
“I am currently working at The Caesars Palace Bluewaters Dubai, in Hell’s Kitchen by Gordon Ramsay Restaurants.
Though working in the Gordon Ramsay group is big on my CV, but then graduating from a well known culinary school like the ICCA Dubai has definitely helped me achieve my goals and boost my career.
It was always my dream to study in a good culinary school, but I could have never afforded the fees. However, ICCA gave me that opportunity I had never imagined!”
ICCA Dubai Culinary Scholarship Program, the annual over 'One Million Dirham Continuing Education Award' for the young industry chefs in the UAE is an internationally acclaimed initiative executed in strategic partnership with the City & Guilds, London, Emirates Culinary Guild and the Worldchefs - World Association of Chefs' Societies. The program is designed to bridge the skills gap across the industry while empowering the deserving chefs with an international qualification to bring about a total transformation in their lives.
This program is ICCA's commitment to educate the talented & deserving, but financially underprivileged young chefs in the UAE Hospitality Industry.
The ICCA's, first of its kind, Innovative Education Industry Initiative - Dubai Culinary Scholarship, One Million Dirham Continuing Education Award for UAE Young Industry Chefs continues to be even more recognized by both the Hospitality Industry in the UAE as well as the Chef Associations & Culinary Industry across the world.
The Scholarship Program for the UAE Young Industry Chefs is all about educating, training & certifying talented and deserving, but financially underprivileged young chefs in the UAE Hospitality Industry.
The Scholarship Program is a tangible step to help bridge the skills gap across the industry and is also designed to share the vast knowledge, experience, expertise of Industry Experts, to develop a socially inclusive working environment for the long-term.
This Education - Industry initiative is all about Changing Lives of those chosen few, to bring about a Total Transformation not only in the lives of the people who are educated & trained but also help alleviate the lives of the families that depend upon them.
The proactiveness of the UAE's leadership in the management of the COVID-19 crisis has resulted in the absolute containment of the pandemic in the country, along with the top of the line facilities offered, making it one of the safest countries in the world to live in during these uncertain times.
Your safety and wellbeing is paramount for us. Hence, we at the ICCA Dubai have enforced all the COVID-19 prevention & precautionary measures and protocols in line with the latest directives from the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), Government of Dubai, and here are some of the standard practices that are strictly followed at the ICCA Dubai on a daily basis -
As the fear of COVID recedes and life bounces back, we are here to make sure you are safe, secure, and confident as you embark on your culinary learning journey.