Graduation ceremony of the Professional Advanced Diploma at CAST Alimenti

CAST students eventually got back to school to attend their final examination

CAST students eventually got back to school to attend their final examination of theoretical and practical assessment for the Advanced Diploma programs.

Being the first post-lock-down occasion, organized by the CAST “in presence” with students on the premises, it had a very special significance, in addition enhanced by another most important event of the year i.e.: the graduation ceremony of the Professional Advanced Diploma in Italian Pastry Arts, in Italian Culinary Arts and in Italian Pastry Arts for Hotel & Restaurant Service.

As you are aware, on June 22nd under the #SAFEDUCATION perimeters, the CAST Alimenti headquarter re-opened its classrooms and laboratories after the lock-down period, hence allowing the students to complete the practical courses, which had been left on stand-by. Yet a real “event” was missing: the long-awaited “Final Examination” along with the Graduation Ceremony which finally took place on last August 29th, 2020.

The four days of demanding assessments according to CAST method were attended by 42 students. The emotion transpired in students and examiners, but everyone was able to maintain the utmost professionalism at every phase of the examination.

Great satisfaction was shared by the entire staff of CAST Alimenti, first of all by the Honorary President – Chef Iginio Massari, who addressed a warm greeting to the new graduates along with these encouraging words

For the CAST team as well, this ceremony was an occasion to award its tenacity which powered the enthusiasm and led to maintain a lively dialogue with the students who were enrolled on these professional programs of 2019/2020.

To safeguard proper safety levels, as mandatory by the pandemic scenario, the gradutation ceremony was open to students only. However, they were granted the presence of family members, relatives and friends through a special LIVE session which was arranged by an online link of the CAST Alimenti YouTube platform.

From the educational point of view, it should be emphasized that the graduates of 29th August were the first students to experience the new exam protocol, meticulously developed by the CAST and structured in such a way as to verify the education quality at the highest level. Some of the most significant aspects of this new procedure are:

– The increase in the number of theoretical / practical tests;

– The heedful presence of a Committee consisting of professionals from the industry, throughout all the examination days;

–  Final presentation of the culinary arts elaborated by each student during the different examination phases;

– The new, rigorous evaluation criteria ranging from the parameters of taste and balance of flavours, to the correct execution of cooking techniques, from the organisation (including the implementation of technology), to the cleanliness of the workstations and common areas, up to the positive approach and openness to Team work.

Among all the students of this batch who took the exams in the Professional Advanced Diploma, we wish to dedicate a special mention to one of them who aced a meaningful 5 star mark – Bir Kumar Singha, an Indian student who was eager to thoroughly master the Italian cuisine, driven by impressive courage and outstanding enthusiasm.

Bir arrived in Italy with a very basic knowledge of the Italian language, yet he bravely fought his way ahead thus keeping the pace with his peers by intensely studying and developing his practical skills during the internship, to level down the language gap. Furthermore, his resilience made him hold on even throughout the hardship of the recent lock-down period due to Covid-19 pandemic, which allowed him to complete the internship period and attend gracefully the final exam at CAST Alimenti. Today he is successfully working in an Italian restaurant in Piedmont with a dream to be an entrepreneur.

Best of luck to Bir and to the whole batch of new bright Chefs/ Pastry Chefs!