Kuala Lumpur, October 15, 2019 

For any up and coming chef, starting from the bottom and rising up is essential in gaining and learning all the tricks of the trade. Preparing a dish that is not only tasty, but also beautiful on the eyes, is a skill that requires patience, practice and an experienced hand. This is what awaits the new graduates of the AEON Bakery School (ABS) as they will get the opportunity to be a part of the AEON Bakery team.

In an effort to create employment opportunity among youths and empower them with the right skill sets, especially in the culinary field, AEON CO. (M) BHD. has embarked on developing its very own in-house talents to support the rapid expansion in the food line department. To complement the bakery portion of the AEON CO. offerings, a new cooking school known as the AEON Delica School will be launched. This will be an additional programme under the AEON Skills Training Centre.

These establishments are designed to develop talents in tandem with AEON’s principle which focuses on Peace, People and Community. The schools are aimed at ensuring consistency in the range of products produced by skilful staff who are passionate in what they do besides sustaining resources to meet the demands of the AEON’s food line department.

Commenting at the inaugural Convocation Ceremony of AEON Bakery School and the launch of AEON Delica School, Dr Aruna binti Ismail @ Abd Wahab, Director of National Dual Training System (SLDN), Department of Skills Development, Ministry of Human Resources said, “We applaud the move by AEON to develop talents amongst the youth in the food category and also offer them the right employment opportunity. We believe these graduates will become great asset while growing masterfully inventing dishes that both nurtures and gives pleasure to customers.

“The establishment of AEON Delica School will further pave the way towards nurturing aspiring cooks and will lead towards creating a new generation of talented chefs who will elevate the culinary industry and take it to international level,” added Dr Aruna.

The first batch of graduates that comprised of AEON staff and youths who are passionate about baking went through an intensive eight-month course that included both off job and on job training at certified AEON stores, namely AEON Taman Maluri, AEON Wangsa Maju, AEON Mid Valley, AEON Metro Prima and AEON Bandar Utama.

The course was endorsed and supported by the Department of Skills Development under the Ministry of Human Resources and was conducted by a team of qualified professionals with over 22 years of working experience with AEON’s Merchandising Bakery and AEON Food Processing Centre.

Shinobu Washizawa, Managing Director of AEON CO. (M) BHD., said,” The establishment of AEON Delica School will pave the way towards inspiring young talents who want to pursue a career in cooking and give these individuals an opportunity to acquire new skill set in their quest to be renowned chef. It is also aimed at filling the gap in creating qualified and talented resources to meet the growing need for skilful apprentices for our Delica outlets”.

Dr Aruna binti Ismail @ Abd Wahab, Director of National Dual Training System (SLDN), Department of Skills Development, Ministry of Human Resources; representatives from Jabatan Pembangunan Kemahiran (JPK) and Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF); Shinobu Washizawa, Managing Director of AEON CO. (M) BHD.; and AEON CO. (M) BHD’s. management were present at the inaugural AEON Bakery School Convocation ceremony and the launch of AEON Delica School.

To ensure that this programme is in line with Malaysian education standards, the format used for AEON Delica School is similar to the skill training centre programme, in which it places 30% emphasis on cooking theories and 70% on industrial training. For a duration of eight months, students will go through two-and-a-half-month theory class at AEON’s very own cooking school in AEON MALL Metro Prima, before commencing a five-and-a-half month industrial training at one of the five registered AEON outlets located at Bandar Utama, Mid Valley, Shah Alam, Bandar Puchong and Bandar Sunway.

The AEON Delica School programme will kick off with two intakes for this year, namely in October and December 2019. The first batch will consist of 22 students. With effect from next year, there will be three intakes per year.

Students who qualify will receive a monthly allowance throughout the duration of the course, and will have insurance coverage. Transportation and accommodation will be provided during the programme. Upon graduation, they will be awarded with the Malaysian Skills Certificate (Level 2) from the Department of Skills Development. They will also be offering permanent positions at AEON and will be based at any of the selected AEON Delica outlets.

Application for admission to AEON Delica School is open to all AEON staff and youths aged between 18 to 27 years old.