. . . about what I was doing and instilled the courage to experiment more and try complicated recipes."
–Pragati, Jan. '13 Graduate
"Not only were my expectations met, they were exceeded.
I learned so much. I can't remember ever taking a course where I actually read ALL the material. It was so interesting."
–Cindy, April '12 Graduate
"This program far exceeded my expectations.
It’s been a tremendous journey, and I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your generosity in teaching us what you know. Wow! The knowledge I gained was incredible. I never knew how in-depth chocolate making could be. I highly recommend this. For chocolatiers wanting to open a business, this is a must-take course."
–Jo-Anne, Jan. '11 Graduate
"The strength of the programwas the tremendous amount of resources at your fingertips.
The structure of the course was very good and the feedback from the instructors was great. The teaching of marketing and operation plans and the business aspect was done very well."
Our Chocolate School delivers programs that will
increase your knowledge and expertise in chocolate
making. The foundation for a complete understanding of chocolate work is found in our online programs focused on chocolatier arts, chocolate making from the bean and quality assurance.
Pam Williams, founder of EcoleChocolat.com, responds to the news that the school has been recognized for "Outstanding Service to the Industry" by the FCIA (Fine Chocolate Industry Association).
Pam answers the question: "How did you get into the chocolate business" in an interview right after the Awards Ceremony. It was an exciting night for the industry, as you can tell by the noise level!
Ecole Chocolat was "born"
because of the large number of requests our lead instructor, Pam Williams,
received from novice chocolate makers all over the globe who
were looking for training in professional chocolate making. They all wanted an opportunity to increase their expertise and make products on par with the best in the business.
When trying to help, Pam realized
that there were very few training opportunities in chocolate making
for non-professional cooks, and most of those are very expensive
(see the resources that Pam found on our Questions? page in the right-hand column under Chocolate Training). We want you to be aware of all your options before deciding if an Ecole Chocolat program is right for you.
Based on Pam's experience, the Ecole Chocolat program curriculum offers
what she considers to be the foundation for any successful chocolatier or chocolate maker – a complete understanding of the chocolate making process, matched
with a "plan of action" to fulfill your career or personal
goals.
Our success in making that happen is seeing many of those original novices succeed: See our Ecole Chocolat Graduates link at the top of the right column and meet graduate Rachel Sawatsky below:
Tweet from @Kokopellis_Choc
@chocapprentice Thanks for following, I've been reading your blog since you started & encouraged me to take the EC course. Life-changing!
01:57 AM - 23 Sep 12
Product knowledge You will be asked about chocolate and chocolate making
by your friends, customers, suppliers and the media – you'd better be an
expert!
Physiology of taste
You need to understand the chemistry of chocolate and what determines
its flavor and texture in order to create successful products
and exceptional gourmet chocolates.
When you become the chocolate expert in your community, you will
be asked time and time again:
"How do your recipes and products compare
to...?"
You'll also be asked for cooking help such as:
"I tried tempering chocolate, but it did this instead..."
You need to know the answers!
Technique and production
You need to understand your ingredients and how to produce a consistent
gourmet chocolate each and every time.
Examples of technique videos embedded in the online curriculum.
Even a small artisan chocolatier or chocolate maker needs to be knowledgeable, efficient and well-organized to succeed.
Marketing and production
You need to understand marketing and production – at
least on a basic level – so you can identify market need to position
yourself and your business for success. You'll need to understand
how to set up your production space to maximize production, efficiency
and profitability.
Our curricula are developed by our Lead Instructor, Pam Williams, with the help of industry experts. Each curriculum is designed to create an open learning environment where you learn not only from your instructors, but also from interaction with your peers.
Unlike a print textbook, the curricula are constantly updated to reflect the latest news, techniques and advances in the industry. Our instructional team are working professionals – not stuck in a laboratory – and they help to ensure the content of our programs never gets stale.
For our online programs, the Learning Centre is delivered on a platform used by more than 45,000 university, college and training organizations in 206 countries. We want to make sure that the technology doesn't get in the way of your learning experience. You only need a computer, access to the Internet and a browser to log into Learning Centre.
Our students come from all over the world, so we can't do live, synchronous activities because someone would be having their learning experience in the middle of the night, which we don't think is fair. There is no time when you have to be in front of your computer. We do pace your learning, but you can study, research and practice whenever it fits your schedule over the duration of the program.
Are you sure I'm going to be able to learn chocolate skills online?
Yes, you can. We've been delivering chocolate programs since 2003 and we've had time to find out what works and what doesn't. We understand how adults learn online.
And we have the chops: Not only was Pam a successful chocolatier for 10 years, she also spent nine years working with the Division of
Applied Technology, UBC Continuing Studies, University of British
Columbia as Senior Program Leader. She developed a number of award-winning Certificate
Programs that are delivered 100% online, as well as on campus.
One day she asked herself: "Why can't I teach chocolate-making online?" She has successfully melded these two careers into intensive programs that will prepare you to work in the chocolate
industry.
These are the chocolate-making skills you'll need
to succeed, whether you're just interested in becoming more expert, planning to open your own
business or want to work for someone else. Here is one of our student's work while in the Professional Chocolatier Program:
