More than a dozen Red River College Polytechnic (RRC Polytech) students will be representing Manitoba this week in the annual Skills Canada National Competition (SCNC), after winning big at the Skills Manitoba Competition in April.

One of them is RRC Polytech Professional Baking and Pastry student Gayeong Yun, who won gold in Baking at Skills MB.

“I am very delighted and proud of myself to be representing Team Manitoba. For me, it’s the first time I get to participate in a competition on behalf of a province or region,” said Yun.

As an international student from Korea, she arrived in Canada in August 2022 year to study at RRC Polytech.

Yun joined the preparatory team for the competition late, and as a result, she felt behind compared to her colleagues. To compensate, she often practiced after school and on her days off.

She credits her instructors for providing her with everything she needed, not only to succeed in the competition, but as a professional baker. Skills like tempering chocolate, cooking sugar, and making daily work plans were just some of the things she took from the program and showcased at last month’s competition.

“I have great respect for the chefs in my program, and I am always grateful to them,” Yun said. “I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the best chefs in the College.”

During the Skills Manitoba competition, Yun was given 5.5 hours to create two components for judging: a plated dessert of chocolate caramel tarts, and a chocolate showpiece. The theme for this years’ competition, The Four Seasons, had to be represented in some way for both components. Part of the judging criteria also included sanitation, safety, and equipment.

To participate in SCNC, Yun not only had to win gold but also score higher than 70 per cent.

SCNC will be held at the RBC Convention Centre on May 25 and 26. Skills Canada expects over 550 competitors participating in 45 skills.

RRC Polytech’s Professional Baking and Pastry program teaches students like Yun the technical knowledge and practical skills needed to pursue a variety of baking and pastry careers. The program is held at the state-of-the-art facilities in the Paterson GlobalFoods Institute at the Exchange District Campus.

Learn more about the Professional Baking and Pastry program by using RRC Polytech’s Program Explorer.