Meet three women who have
embarked on careers in the
culinary industry. This program
profiles Josee Bagdadi, a gourmet
butcher; Heather Irvine, a
commercial baker specializing in
artisan breads; and Lisa Gardin,
an apprentice chef who plans to
open her own restaurant one day.
Remarks from co-workers and
supervisors provide additional
layers to the descriptions of each job. View a preview video clip and read below
for descriptions of each segment, or scroll to the bottom to order!
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Josee Bagdadi is a gourmet butcher at the
Place Du Parc Metro, a food store. Josee
debones, cuts, slices and grinds meat. She
prepares rump roasts and fancy/expensive
types of meat. She also advises customers
on how to cook meats and gives them
recipes.
Josee used to work at the cash register and deli counter. She noticed a posting
for a trainee butcher. She took the opportunity and enrolled in a 9 month
butcher course and received her diploma in butcher sciences.
According to Josee, it is generally difficult to find good butchers. She feels that women have a lot to offer in this field. Josee admits that in a male-dominated career like this, you have to be tough emotionally to succeed as a female butcher. However, she gets along really well with her coworkers and in particular, the many customers that value her work. Not surprisingly, it is a particular bonus to understand cooking.
One of Josee's clients is a doctor, who, seeing her dexterity, suggested she
become a surgeon. Older women congratulate her. Josee loves knowing that
she helped clients, and that they had a great meal. She knows her regulars and
what they want.
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Heather Irvine is a baker's helper for Terra
Breads. Her job is to bake loaves of bread,
pastries, and focaccia. She really enjoys
every part of her job, especially the end
result! She says, “For anyone who enjoys
working with food, to see the end result so
quickly is really great. Also, it is wonderful
to see people enjoying the results of what
you just did.”
Sometimes the hours are a bit tiring for Heather,
but she doesn't have much of a problem with it,
as she can usually adjust her sleeping pattern
quite easily. “It's hard work but very rewarding.
If you like working with food it is a great job.”
Heather's education included a ten-month baking
program at a community college. Her current
wage will increase with more experience. There
are also further certifications that Heather can
earn to advance her career.
Heather believes that this is a good industry to be in. There are many
opportunities for baking fresh breads in restaurants, hotels, cruise ships, and
catering companies. And she feels that artisan breads will never be replaced by
automated factories. Heather's future aspirations include operating a catering
business from her home.
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Lisa Gardin is in year first year as an
apprentice chef at a hotel. Her duties
include working at the pastry station
preparing desserts. She also makes
complimentary cookies for the hotel rooms
and biscotti for the cappuccino bars. For
the afternoon tea service between 2:00
pm and 4:00 pm she prepares seven
different petit fours. For dinner, she makes dessert soufflés.
Lisa found her interest in cooking when she took part in a student co-op program in 11th grade. After completing the program, the chef hired her. Her apprenticeship involves taking college courses for one month each year at a community college.
Lisa admits that the food industry is not easy to be
in - you either love it or hate it! She currently has a
great chef, but often finds herself as the only female
in the kitchen.
There are various food industry associations and
some working environments are unionized. Lisa is
paid for 40 hours of work, but she often works 60.
Once Lisa completes her apprenticeship, she plans to travel throughout Europe.
Ultimately, she would like to open her own restaurant - every chef's dream!
"Often you are the only female in the kitchen. It is a tough industry…either you
love it or you hate it."
Click the image to the left
for a preview video clip!
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Developed in 2006 in Canada, the Career Options for Women series is an
outstanding resource for schools wanting to attract women and girls to Science,
Technology and Trades!
Please Note: These videos are an excellent depiction of women in these jobs
and are interspersed with Canadian salary and labor statistics, which are
similar to the numbers in the United States. As there is a no-return policy on
these publications, please make sure to look at the preview video clip for the
DVD(s) you are ordering.
Pricing - Career Options for Women: Emerging Technologies DVDs
