The American Society of Baking (ASB) is launching an online training center that includes 10 Bread Production Certificate courses. These digital courses are designed to provide the commercial baking industry with streamlined, contemporary delivery methods and up-to-date training content, the organization said. 

The platform will be powered by BAKERpedia, a digital resource for technical and scientific baking information. Each module takes approximately 30 minutes to complete and the entire certificate series can be completed in half a day, allowing new employees to be trained thoroughly and quickly, ASB stated.  

“The BAKERpedia/American Society of Baking certified training courses for Bread Production are not just a rehashing of decades old courses which have become irrelevant, but are instead a fresh and innovative approach to providing baking professionals with the information and training they need to be competitive in today’s wholesale baking industry,” says Kent Van Amburg, executive director, ASB. 

ASB’s Bread Production Certificate courses cover all the basics of bread production, from wheat and yeast to proofing and packaging. These courses can be used to quickly train onboarding employees or prepare current employees for career development, the organization said.

“The BAKERpedia/American Society of Baking certified training courses for Bread Production represent a dynamic shift in the way bakery training and learning will be conducted in the future,” says Lin Carson, PhD, chief executive officer of BAKERpedia. “It dives into the fundamentals of bread production with key emphasis on ingredient functionality, process controls, shelf life extension and quality control programs. It addresses the need for quick knowledge in small bite size modules. Companies no longer have the time to send employees to external training sites; they need instant, in-the-moment training that can be leveraged for immediate returns and efficiencies in output.”

The courses are scheduled to launch in September ahead of the International Baking Industry Exposition (IBIE), which takes place Sept. 17-21 in Las Vegas. Courses will be available for purchase at the show (ASB Booth No. 1255). For more information, contact Amy Leigh Beecher, ASB director of education and training, at: abeecher@asbe.org, or visit https://asbe.org/certified-courses/.