Shatec or At-sunrice

kenny_chew SG

Dear SgForums members,

I'm Kenny and currently taking my O' levels in 2 months time. I'm in a dillemma of my future education path after my O's. I am very interested in taking up a course for a Diploma in Culinary Crafts/Skills but there are some problems i have encountered and I hope to get some advice from the people experienced in this aspect.

I have searched the internet for culinary schools in Singapore and have only managed to find two schools providing such diplomas (Diploma in Culinary Crafts/Skills).

Shatec
This is a popular school in Singapore for students planning to take the path of becoming a chef or work in the tourism industry (hospitality/hotel management). It has also been around for more than 20 years thus, having a strong reputation for a culinary school.

at-sunrice
At-sunrice has only been around for a few years (2001 if I am not wrong). It focuses on training chefs to work globally(at least 3 countries) by the age of 30 and follows a work & study system (Apprenticeship).

Now, I am in a dilemma of what school to choose. I have thought about the pros and cons of both schools for me.

If I were to choose at-sunrice, I would have a problem in paying the tuition fees. The tuition fees is really steep compared to Shatec (SGD$15000 for diploma course + SGD$3600 for Culinary and Service Excellence certificate course for unexperienced students). There's also other cost to consider; a laptop is compulsory for all students taking the DCC course, uniforms and etc. The minimum age requirement is 18 which means I will have 1 year to work for my tuition fees and get my CSE certificate (or 3 months kitchen experience and a certificate in cooking). The school doesn't have a strong reputation and it would be a problem in approaching my family for support. At-sunrice concentrates more on imparting culinary skills compared to Shatec which sysllabus includes food cost control, kitchen organisation and even pastry and baking & etc. at sunrice's syllabus includes

Cookery Craft 101
Food safety and sanitation
Kitchen structure and Equipment
Storeroom management.

Cut & Create 101
Food preparation and fabrication
Kitchen tools and knives skills
Asian & Western cooking techniques

Culinary Crafting 101
Asian & Western Herbs & Spices
Asian & Western soups, stocks, sauces
Western Specialties: Garde Manager, cold food preparation, salads, canapés and h'ors d'oeuvres
Asian Specialties: Curries, Herb & Spice Blends
Asian & Western - Noodles & Bread
Asian & Western - Tim Sum & Dumplings

Carve and Create
Professional Crafter and Culture
Fruit & Vegetable Carving
Plating & Presentation
Cuisine Trends

Culinary Cutting Edge
Five Senses & Six Flavours
Effective Performances & Presentations
Mastering recipes
English for Culinarians

For Shatec, its tuition fees is around SGD$6000 including insurance, uniforms, textbooks and etc. Its minimum requirements will allow me start the course by July next year without needing any other certificates. There will be a much lighter financial burden on my family. It offers a 2 year programme including 9 months of working experience. It is also much nearer to my residence compared to at-sunrice which is located at Fort Canning. Its diversed sysllabus includes:

Beverages
Menu Planning and Pricing
Cooking Practical (Asian and Western)
Principles of Cooking (Asian and Western)
Catering Science
Pastry and Baking
Food Cost Control Foods
Event Catering
Communication Skills
Introduction to F&B Operations
English
Kitchen Organisation
Information Technology
Principles of Supervision

Please give me some advice on what I should do to start my career in culinary and what other alternatives do I have? What job opportunities will I have after i graduate? What other things about taking the culinary path should I be aware of? Does the any of thediplomas earn me a credit in Universities if I were to further my studies? Is there any tuition grant I can apply for?

I must thank you for taking time in reading my post.

Best Regards,
Kenny

FireIce SG

i think sunrice will prepare u to be more all-rounder and give u more exposure…...

ben1406 SG

Hey there mate, looks like you beed help on your school selections. Ask yourself, will you want to work overseas ? Places like Europe, Canada, Us, etc etc ? I would thats why i'm in Canada now doing my Culinary dip..

If you need to choose between those two schools ? I'll go with @sunrise ! They're dip & degree certs are from the US so job placing wise in the future will be much better then what shatec can offer.. Yes the school fees are higher but think long term !

You're still 1 year short of enrolling with @sunrise ? Well, it's good in a way ! It gives you a year to get exp working in kitchens ! It's not like what you see on tv.. Like Jamie Oilver, etc etc. It's hell working in a kitchen esp when you are new ! You get picked on everyday, shouted @ everyday, etc etc.. Try it out 1st before planning for your future. Hours are long and tiring !

Here's a good read up on becoming a chef..

http://www.reluctantgourmet.com/becoming_a_chef.htm

All the best mate ! PM me if you need help !

vito_corleone SG

for chef sunrice is better i think..shatec teaches you to become a slave in singapore. Laughing

ben1406 SG

dude, remember this.. doesnt mean u get a dip or degree for culinary means you’ll become a chef ! you’ll still start quite low in the kitchen placements..

kenny_chew SG

i know. but sometimes its the dip that decides whether you’re promoted or not and with a dip also allows u to work overseas easier.

ben1406 SG

what the school can give u is only a cert and teach u the ground works ! exp is just as important ! don't rush into choosing a school yet... talk to your parents abt it !

The man who was death SG

Shatec diploma also can get u to work overseas what. i have a friend with shatec diploma working in US now. the diploma here is equivalent to a degree in switzerland lor. not sure about US. If u really want to work overseas, i think switzerland no prob one.

kenny_chew SG

Thanks for all the comments! i need more feedback pls. I’ll be also consulting my parents about it. (or else where to get the money right?)

ben1406 SG

what other feedbacks ? let us know so we can help !

kenny_chew SG

don’t you all think 15 k is abit too much for a 1 year course which only has 2 study days per week and sends u out on attachment on the rest? its like they are payin us allowance from our fees and we are free labours. they even got paid for that.. wouldnt i be better off goin to a overseas culinary school with that money? 15 k plus 4 k for cse plus 2 k for misc. thats 21k .. hmm.. hey ben.. wats the requirement like for a culinary school in the canada?

PigletZ SG

nothing comes easy in life. what u sow is what u reap. it takes time for some… some just never make it at all. its what most ppl choose to say: ‘Luck.” others get even double degrees n never get a $1.5K job. some just fresh out of school and make big bucks. gd education not necessary = $$$. its just self satisfaction. learning n pursueing what interest u. if u study to bring urself $$, i think tt is sad. maybe im too idealistic…

ben1406 SG

well, what they require you is to at least finish up high school which should be like secondary school in singapore. O levels that is. You'll need to show proof of funds to the canadian high commission in sg. Like show how much your folks have in their bank and must be at least $20k CAD to apply for a student visa. Fees in a way would hit up to $10k CAD for the course but of course u'll learn more here..

The chefs in my school are all quite high profiled so its good in a way. The school also has the the hotel management school of swiss backing and job placements here in Canada are much easier to find when u grad from the school. The school will help get a job for u..

Now u know the reason why i didnt go to either shatec or @sunrise ? No point spending so much to learn culinary and it's not even french ! In all big hotel's you'll need to know the fundamentals of french culinary !

kenny_chew SG

learning french cuisine is canada? hmmm.. alright.. to me i feel that its still learning french cuisine outside europe..

The man who was death SG

if u wanna learn french cuisine in europe, switzerland is the way to go. why do u have to just learn french cuisine? what's so bad about other cuisine? u can learn other cuisine first and then learn french cuisine.

And u don't really need to work in a big hotel. work in a smaller one, work ur way to the top faster and then with enough money, open ur own restaurant.

kenny_chew SG

hey the man..! not that i only want to learn french cuisine.. but french cuisine is very impt. in culinary.. its the norm in top hotels and also the epitome of fine food .. i want to learn asian and also western cuisine..

The man who was death SG

i'm saying if u want to learn french cuisine it doesn't have to be now, u can learn other cuisine first and then learn french cuisine later

ben1406 SG

well, u could do it in france at institut paul bocuse but then you'll need to speak french which i dont. Canada is a good option because there is alot of french influence here so yeah..

you can try swiss or uk but it will cost you a bomb !

vito_corleone SG

aux canada, ils parlon francais. Laughing anyway, you cna learn french cuisine outside france. many culinary schools in the states, canada, uk and australia offer french cuisine courses. cordon bleu for example has a branch in australia. (correct me if i'm wrong)

ben1406 SG

you are right on LCB having a branch in aus. But the bad thing abt it is, their course fees are way high ! $50kAUS for the whole course !