You can do a college course, for example:

• hospitality and catering
• bakery
• professional bakery

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

You could begin your career by applying to do an apprenticeship, such as:

• Baker Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship
• Lead Baker Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
• Pastry Chef Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship

These can take around 2 years to complete.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
• 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

You may be able to start as a trainee or assistant in a bakery shop, supermarket or food production plant, and work your way up through training on the job.

You'll need:

• knowledge of food production methods
• the ability to work well with your hands
• to be thorough and pay attention to detail
• the ability to work well with others
• maths knowledge
• excellent verbal communication skills
• the ability to use your initiative
• the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
• to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

You'll need to:

• get a food hygiene certificate

As a baker, you could:

• weigh and mix ingredients by hand or using machinery
• bake bread, cakes and patisserie products in batches
• decorate and finish baked items ready for dispatch or shop display
• make quality and food safety checks
• stocktake and order supplies
• develop new recipes and products

You could work at a store or in a factory.

Your working environment may be dusty, physically demanding and noisy.

You may need to wear protective clothing.