A few years ago, after receiving numerous inquiries about the best online training to prepare for the Baking and Pastry Technician certification (CAP Pâtisserie), I had contacted Youschool to test their platform. Since then, my article has received quite a lot of views and comments, proving that the topic is still very relevant! So when Youschool offered me access to test their new platform, I jumped at the opportunity to give you an update (and you'll see, many things have changed!)
CAP Pâtisserie: The New Reform
Before I present my thoughts on Youschool, it's important to briefly discuss the CAP Pâtisserie itself. If you're a candidate for this year, you probably noticed that an 14-week internship at a company is now mandatory to pass your exam. Clearly, this decision was made to complicate the task of free candidates like myself who never stepped foot in a bakery. Additionally, the CAP Pâtisserie program has become more complex and the level higher. Therefore, this year's exam should be much harder than previous years.
Compulsory Baking Workshop: A Bad for a Good
We can find these changes unfair, but it's true that many people registered "just to see". I don't blame those people; the motivation needed to pass your CAP on your own is really important. However, many free candidates didn't show up for the exam and this significantly degraded the image of free candidates (which tended to irritate the jury a lot). Another major issue: employability. Indeed, many students who obtained their CAP Pâtisserie without ever working in a lab found it difficult to find work once they had their diploma due to lack of experience. Therefore, the old formula was far from ideal.
An Opportunity to Better Understand the Profession
I find that many people in career transition idealize baking. Confronting reality (the hours, pressure, heavy workload...) allows one to realize the difficulties and see if it's really what they want to do with their life. So personally, I think that the obligation of a 14-week internship is a good thing.
However, this implies having access to an internship agreement and therefore using a training organization. While a few years ago, I would have told you that it was perfectly possible to pass your CAP with just two books, a Facebook group, and lots of motivation, this is no longer the case today: attending a school is mandatory.
What is Youschool?
Youschool is therefore an online school that offers a CAP Pâtisserie training program. It's a Qualiopi-certified organization which, aside from being a quality guarantee, allows the financing of their programs through the CPF (formerly DIF). This means that if you're employed and have never used your rights, this training should be fully funded without any out-of-pocket expenses (and without your employer's approval). That's really cool!
If you don't have CPF rights, the training will cost between 980 and 2180 € depending on your situation. Here's what is included in the training:
Furthermore, your training will be fully reimbursed if you don't obtain your CAP Pâtisserie under the following conditions:
- You have completed the entire Youschool course on their platform
- Have failed the exam 3 times
- Not been disqualified for cheating
You'll understand that this is a safety net if baking isn't really your thing, but don't try to train by eye; it won't work!
The Platform
Once you've paid for your training, you'll have access to the platform. On the home page, you'll find the latest posts as well as must-not-miss updates: upcoming live sessions, registration dates, internship agreements... In terms of mental load, it's quite nice to know that you're supported and won't miss a registration date; everything is centralized.
In general, I was pleasantly surprised by the platform. While currently it felt a bit quiet (which is normal given that we're in "off-season" for CAP), there's clearly been an effort to boost the social aspect.
Each participant can post their creations by adding photos of each step and the community as well as teachers can leave comments to congratulate or suggest improvements. From what I've seen, it's quite supportive and the exchanges are constructive.
The interface has been heavily inspired by Facebook and I found that Youschool has this community feel that my CAP Facebook group had. And knowing how much the group effect serves learning and motivation, I think this choice is extremely well-judged.
