First graduates at Puratos Bakery School in São Paolo, Brazil

The idea for the creation of Bakery Schools

23 Feb 2017

We believe it is very important not only to share our skills and know-how with our commercial partners – bakers’ shops, supermarkets and the food business and services to whom we supply ingredients, but also to help underprivileged communities in the countries where we operate. Being a reliable local partner is part of our international business philosophy.

Alexander Decoster, General Manager of Puratos Brazil, comments: "The school offers vocational training to people in a vulnerable situation and increases the number of qualified bakery and patisserie professionals in the market."

Eleven students of the Puratos bakery school, aged 17 to 21, have just received their “Professional Qualification for Bakery, Confectionery and Chocolate,” and are therefore the very first graduates of the programme. Each student has completed 828 hours of training over two years, and received the necessary theoretical knowledge in the areas of baking, patisserie and chocolate. All had also followed practical training in the pilot plants and laboratories of Senai Horácio Augusto da Silveira.

The ceremony, in the presence of the retired soccer star, Raí de Oliveira, head of the Gol de Letra Foundation; Alexander Decoster, General Manager of Puratos Brazil; Cristiana Ambiel, Director of Senai was held on the 26th January 2017.

Rai summed up the depth of emotion felt by everyone on graduation day,
"I have often represented my country on the soccer field, and heard the national anthem sung as we have heard it here today; but I have to say that the emotions I felt here today were much greater. It is such a pleasure to see the excitement in the eyes of these young people, who all now have a new perspective on life."

A job, and a vocation for the future

"We have already been able to employ these new professionals in a number of great bakeries, such as Benjamin Abrahão, Paneteria ZN and Preço & Cia. Supermarket, which has made its bakery one of its strongest assets,"

declares Cida Campos, Manager of Social Projects at Puratos.

"For us, it is a pride and a pleasure to see these young people from Vila Albertina and the region now professionally trained in the techniques of bread and sweets specialties production, and ready to go out to work,"

says Sóstenes Brasileiro, general director of the Gol de Letra Foundation.

Alexander Decoster, General Manager of Puratos Brazil added,

"Puratos is proud to be able to train the bakers and patisserie makers of the future in Brazil today, and we are delighted to confirm that our we have a new intake of students for 2017, over and above those who have already started in 2016. I can also confirm that we are investigating the possibility of opening other bakery and patisserie schools elsewhere in Brazil."