Cake decorating usually pays close to minimum wage and there's virtually no path for career advancement (senior cake decorator? still close to minimum wage).
I find it weird that a community college would want to train students for such a poorly-paying field.
And I am speaking of taking the craft store courses. I know they have master classes and those could be different. They are great to spark the interest, but taking courses 1-3 does not an expert make. I wouldn't wan to hire someone fresh from their wilton 1-3 courses to work in a high volume, up-scale bakery either since they would be useless in the weeds.
I think Kat is speaking from frustration since these days everyone and their cousin's uncle thinks that being a decorator is an easy fun job thanks to the media coverage it has been getting.
Meow.. I think Kat has an important perspective here. She's not knocking anyone who has taken a wilton course. She's not saying that if you take a wilton course you suck. She is saying that, from the perspective of an employer who runs an up-scale large volume bakery, the wilton courses are the last thing on her list of priorities. She is saying the wilton courses does not prepare you for a job in a high volume bakery like hers... and she's right.
Try not to take it personally.
Thanks J,
I have had two girl work for me who's primary training was at Wilton. One quite literally broke down in tears on her first day because she was in so far over her head. Her task.. Complete 3 8 inch birthday cakes in 5 hours. The most elaborate design had polka dots and a bow, and BTW, I have a kitchen intern who dyes all of the fondant.
The other did beautiful work, but never cleaned her station or her tools at the end of her shift. She was a walking health code violation. The rest of my staff threatened to quit rather work with her.
Every culinary program requires an internship that has hundreds of hours of " real world" experience and serv-safe certification. That makes someone ready to work in a professional kitchen.
I have not taken a Wilton's class yet but I might. I researched many a website and there does seem to be a common thread that runs through all of them to some extent and that is similar techniques (Wilton's??). The OP's question was whether someone would be employable after taking the Wilton's class. Well, maybe not for an "upscale" bakery but for other places of employment they would be qualified as stated already. If an opportunity is before OP to make a presentation that will set many on the road to cake decorating, then wouldn't it be best to think of all the positive and realistic ways that a class in Wilton's would achieve this? Not only employment in a "non" upscale bakery but possibly to eventually venture to having their own shop.
I actually took the first 2 Wilton classes just to get me out of the house! What happened is I realized how much I loved it- I grew up baking with my grandma, but never looked at it as more than a hobby. Since then I have taken most of my classes through cake supply stores, and with people that own their own business. I have been pondering whether to take pastry courses or to see if I could "intern" at a business. Although after some of these posts I'm not sure I'd be wanted 
Meow.. I think Kat has an important perspective here. She's not knocking anyone who has taken a wilton course. She's not saying that if you take a wilton course you suck. She is saying that, from the perspective of an employer who runs an up-scale large volume bakery, the wilton courses are the last thing on her list of priorities. She is saying the wilton courses does not prepare you for a job in a high volume bakery like hers... and she's right.
Try not to take it personally.
Thanks J,
I have had two girl work for me who's primary training was at Wilton. One quite literally broke down in tears on her first day because she was in so far over her head. Her task.. Complete 3 8 inch birthday cakes in 5 hours. The most elaborate design had polka dots and a bow, and BTW, I have a kitchen intern who dyes all of the fondant.
The other did beautiful work, but never cleaned her station or her tools at the end of her shift. She was a walking health code violation. The rest of my staff threatened to quit rather work with her.
Every culinary program requires an internship that has hundreds of hours of " real world" experience and serv-safe certification. That makes someone ready to work in a professional kitchen.
No problem Kat...
As someone who has worked in high pressure food prep I know where you are coming from. Just because you can make a souffle at home doesn't mean you can handle the dinner rush when you're in the shit and the tickets keep coming. Same thing goes for bakers/decorators.
I think the wilton courses can be fun... but you have to move past that to be truely employable. Some do and that's great... BlakesCakes is a great example. It's safe to say that your style is decidedly NOT "wilton". You left the wilton style in the dust. No one here is saying that you having taken wilton courses somehow makes you not a good decorator.
It's not that you wouldn't be wanted, but you might have to be willing to abandon somethings you have learned. 
This isn't people saying that someone having taken the wilton courses is useless. Just that they don't prepare you for everything.
I hear ya! I worked in a high volume restaurant for 9 years and the most frustrating thing was someone that was constantly weeded, but refused to take any advice to make it the situation better. I truly think that I can adapt well, and follow instructions so maybe I'll give the intern thing a try! I guess my thought is that Wilton just helped me realize that this is something that I really love to do
Thanks again
Well, I will take it personally when someone makes a blanket statement that shows a lack of knowledge, understanding, and actually slaps the faces of those who have taken a particular path 
I don't appreciate the broad implication that I've somehow wasted my time and money taking Wilton classes, rather than "some art classes or in a culinary program at the Community College". The proof is in the putting and I know that I've spent my time and money well.
Kat has hired the wrong people for the job and chosen to blame it on their "Wilton" training. If you want people who are trained in sanitary food practices and volume production, then you have to screen for it when hiring. You can't later paint an ugly canvas of those people based on only one aspect of their training! No one has ever claimed that Wilton training covers what is necessary in every aspect of a commercial decorating kitchen. If an applicant is required to have that training, fine, but why expect them to have that when they've taken basic cake decorating classes????????? YOU have to ask the right questions when hiring them!
I could NEVER get an "associates degree..." in anything for $1000--and if I did, I wouldn't think it would get me much more than a dishwasher's job! Nor, would I ever have thought that after taking basic cake decorating classes that I could walk into an upscale bakery and do much other than crumb coat cakes and learn MORE from on-the-job training!
If a community college, the CIA, the French Pastry School, etc. offers basic cake deco classes (and they do, and for much more than Wilton, without much more content), then it's primarily as a "taster" for students and may well be part of a curriculum that includes food safety and art.
It was never intended to be the end of the road for a student. It shouldn't be presented as the end of the road for a student, either.
If a potential employer (or potential employee) is deluded into thinking that Wilton basic classes make for an independent employee, then they both deserve whatever they get!
Any frustration created has nothing to do with what's being taught in Wilton classes!
NO ONE has EVER said that if you ONLY take the Wilton basics you can walk into ANY bakery, decorate like Margaret Braun, spout health code by sections, and be the perfect employee.
It's fine if an employer has to have someone with no prior training, but that has to be communicated to an applicant clearly at the start: No one with prior decorating experience need apply. I only want it done one way, my way, and I don't want your experience to interfere with my indoctrination. If I can use your art training to enhance my product, or your associates degree in culinary arts to comply with code and make the kitchen run smoothly, great, but beyond that, no thanks.
I feel so sorry for those 2 girls..............I only hope that they can recover from the experience..............
I think it's an affordable way for people to get a taste of cake decorating. I live in Vegas and know several women who have completed the Wilton courses and then got entry level cake decorating jobs at the casinos. Mostly, the girls got jobs at smaller casino, but I do know one who got a job on the strip. I think it's a good fit for a community college.
i took a couple of wilton courses , it helped me get my foot in the door at the first couple places i worked....but it wasn't really just that, they had me make a cake and checked my time too, and the neatness of my work.
after they hired me they said on my first day ...."now we are going to teach you how you REALLY do it"....
theres no way you could have the time to use 3 different thicknesses of icings in a place were they crank out a hundred cakes a day....they also took away my flower nail....and gave me the rose stick.....
the wilton method isn't for production work, but i think they liked the fact that i already knew how to fold the icing bags...that i could ice a cake pretty good etc.
but
i'd say 75% of the peeps that took the class came out with no skills at all....it was sad.
You are taking it WAY to personally... and I am leaving my comments to you at that.
Talk to people in the business (high volume)... you will see that the general concensus is the same as what Kat is saying. Nuff said.
As an instructor let me have my say please. Sorry it's going to be long.
Wilton has it's place. Their target is for the "home bakers" and "those wanting to get their feet wet". You can take course 1 for about $22.50, get your $25 C1 kit and then about another $50 in box mixes, powdered sugar, eggs etc. and be ready for your 4 week class. By the end of C1 you know if it's your thing or not with minimum investment.
That's a great way to find out. 4 weeks, about $100 put into it. You know you fit into the following catagory
1) Love it! Obsessed and want to learn more! You take Wilton while scouring the internet for all you can learn Wilton/non Wilton.
2) Yes it's fun but a lot of work so I'll take the courses just so I can do family birthday/event cakes.
3) This sucks! I hate it and I have no problem buying a store bought cake and never want to make buttercream again! (I can't tell you over the years how many people have brought me their kits back at L4 saying "this isn't my thing here's my stuff!)
In our area you either take classes with Michael's or you take non at all. The University and Community College have zero options for learning decorating in their food programs.
Honestly, I can't think of any other well known classes other than Wilton's master course. I'm sure they are out there but in the 20 years I've been doing cakes and am fully immersed in this I've never heard of "X school of Cake Decorating."
I started off taking courses at a shop called Nancy's Fancy in Santa Rosa. They were definately not Wilton. About a year after that I went and took the full Wilton set of courses (1 and 2) because that was all they had.
When C3 hit the scene I took 1, 2, 3.
In 2007 I took 1, 2, 3, F&GP.
To my surprise at the end of C1 in 2007 my instructor with out knowing I had been doing cakes since 1989 started in on me with "you'd love to teach here!" By the end of F&GP she all but had me hired to teach. That's how I ended up teaching at my current location.
When they leave any of my courses they are well aware there's a lot more to learn, and theydon't have the expectation of being a Duff/Buddy/Bronwin/Kerry/Collette etc. any time soon. They know they can't just walk into any bakery and claim to know it all. What I have done is opened the door for them to learn more outside of Wilton.
Wilton DOES NOT prepare you to hit the floor running and be ready for a fast paced upscale bakery as soon as you get your certificate of completion.
I also don't teach to sell products. I teach my courses as "this is where you come to "relax, enjoy, have fun" and try to find ways for them to save money on purchases that are not absolutely necessary. This approach has earned me cake friends for life once they graduate. For me it's not about them buying Wilton, it's about them finding fun in decorating.
In conclusion, can you find a job with Wilton, yes. In some store bakeries around here taking all the Wilton courses will make you a cake guru while in another bakery across town it will get you laughed out the door because knowing just Wilton and being fresh out of it means you are qualified to wash dishes and be nothing more than a fondant color girl/boy for the first year.
Ok, I did all that with out cold med's (I have a huge nasty cold.) so I hope all that made sense.
My son is now happily at school, hubby's at work, the dog's curled up on teh floor next to me, the baby's still sound asleep in her crib and I need a nap until she wakes up. lol
2 cents from the non-creative person. I liked to color and draw as a kid, but I recognized I am not that crafty or creative artsy fartsy person. I spent 15 years in the Army, so I have a very structured way of thinking.....no grey areas with me. It sucks, but that's how I was wired. I enjoy the Wilton classes immensely because I can never figure things out myself. I sit with a piping bag in front of my computer watching every youtube tutorial I can find. Have I changed my techniches form the "wilton way"?....yes, like using a 12 tip to start a rose....but us noncreative, visual peeps need everything we can get....all in my opinion (as she jumps off her soap box). Deb
.............and one more thing....I thing some people have incredible talent...with or without classes. You can look at pics and tell if someone "has it" or not. Cosmetology graduates are not prepared to be incredible stylists....Wilton graduates aren't professional decorators.....but we all have to start somewhere..
This is the type of nonsense I have to deal with every day. Most culinary classes including wilton are FOR PROFIT enterprises. Their primary mission is not to educate, but to make profit, and so to get people to keep buying, they spin these tales about how valuable their training is and how much money you'll be able to make when you complete the courses etc...but the truth of the matter is absolutely every executive chef wants employees who work to the chef's standards, not the Wilton corporations. Each wilton class is about 4-5 hours. Even the "Master Class" is only 10 8 hour days. and it's $1000.
Spend the $1000 on some art classes or in a culinary program at the Community College, and you can get an associates degree for $1000 in most places, which will go a lot farther toward getting you a job than anything Wilton teaches.
I think in this there is some true. The Wilton Company does teach classes to earn more money on the things they sell.. But then again, the majority of the teachers dont sell, the teachers dont get one cent for increased sales, so they really dont sit and say, buy this or buy that. Cause it wont make a difference in their paycheck..
Edna
.............and one more thing....I thing some people have incredible talent...with or without classes. You can look at pics and tell if someone "has it" or not. Cosmetology graduates are not prepared to be incredible stylists....Wilton graduates aren't professional decorators.....but we all have to start somewhere..
This is what matters at the end of the day...the person who got it, just got it!
Edna 
I can see it from both point's of view (Blakescakes & txkat). I started with Wilton. There wasn't any other option. I just wanted to make my kids better cakes. I was shock and appalled by some of the teachers I had. I think it has more to do with the quality of the instructor that is teaching the class. I hate to say it, but all the students in my class that completed the 3 course, SUCKED. And they were just passed along. I 'd expected something a lot better after 3 courses. It's a money thing for Wilton. They just want you to complete the courses and buy there product. My instructors were pitiful. I'd hate to think that any of my then class mates could then turn around and teach a Wilton class just because they had sat through Wilton's 3 classes, but that seemed to be the case.
Blakescakes, you obviously had a good instructor. You got lucky. I was the best in my class because I'm a crafty kind of person and learn very quickly. I wanted it bad enough to learn beyond what was taught in these classes. I think we are more the exception than the norm when it comes to Wilton classes. You were probably the best of your class too when you finished. So, yes, you can have a good student come from Wilton. It probably speaks more about the quality of the instructors in her area than the program itself. The bar for the instructors for the Wilton program is set too low IMO.
When I finished Wilton's courses, did I feel ready to work at a high end bakery? No way. Was I ready to work at a super market bakery for minimum wage? I wasn't sure about that either, but they hired me. I was the best of 7 interviewees and I wasn't that great. I think that says more about the skill of the people interviewing than of my skill. (So, I can see txkat's frustration with trying to hiring.) For the next few months I worked on my speed and getting a cake iced with crisper corners. I can see a higher end bakery already wanting those skills in place, but that comes with time and practice, no curriculum can make that happen. As for what bad habits Wilton taught me, I'd want more specific things pointed out than something so general. Wilton just taught basics. Ice the cake, pipe a border, make a rose, etc. (Though my instructor did yell at me about not making my rose "the Wilton Way", but I ignored her and did it my way because it was already working for me. And I was the only one in the class who could make a rose.) I no longer even use many of the things in the Wilton courses. Few brides care for buttercream roses, drop strings, buttercream swags, drop flowers, or royal icing flowers on their cakes. But it was still a decent place to start. It was the first step that helped me move to the next step, then to the next.
Teekakes - What part of Houston are you in? I'm in Katy, but would love to meet up with a local CC'er.
I am all the way over on the Bay in Seabrook, just up the road from teh Kemah Boardwalk. Quiet a drive to Katy but I do go to the Cake Craft Shop in Sugarland every couple of months, or whenever I need something "right now". Do you go there or to Seabrook/Kemah?
I can see it from both point's of view (Blakescakes & txkat). I started with Wilton. There wasn't any other option. I just wanted to make my kids better cakes. I was shock and appalled by some of the teachers I had. I think it has more to do with the quality of the instructor that is teaching the class. I hate to say it, but all the students in my class that completed the 3 course, SUCKED. And they were just passed along. I 'd expected something a lot better after 3 courses. It's a money thing for Wilton. They just want you to complete the courses and buy there product. My instructors were pitiful. I'd hate to think that any of my then class mates could then turn around and teach a Wilton class just because they had sat through Wilton's 3 classes, but that seemed to be the case.
Blakescakes, you obviously had a good instructor. You got lucky. I was the best in my class because I'm a crafty kind of person and learn very quickly. I wanted it bad enough to learn beyond what was taught in these classes. I think we are more the exception than the norm when it comes to Wilton classes. You were probably the best of your class too when you finished. So, yes, you can have a good student come from Wilton. It probably speaks more about the quality of the instructors in her area than the program itself. The bar for the instructors for the Wilton program is set too low IMO.
When I finished Wilton's courses, did I feel ready to work at a high end bakery? No way. Was I ready to work at a super market bakery for minimum wage? I wasn't sure about that either, but they hired me. I was the best of 7 interviewees and I wasn't that great. I think that says more about the skill of the people interviewing than of my skill. (So, I can see txkat's frustration with trying to hiring.) For the next few months I worked on my speed and getting a cake iced with crisper corners. I can see a higher end bakery already wanting those skills in place, but that comes with time and practice, no curriculum can make that happen. As for what bad habits Wilton taught me, I'd want more specific things pointed out than something so general. Wilton just taught basics. Ice the cake, pipe a border, make a rose, etc. (Though my instructor did yell at me about not making my rose "the Wilton Way", but I ignored her and did it my way because it was already working for me. And I was the only one in the class who could make a rose.) I no longer even use many of the things in the Wilton courses. Few brides care for buttercream roses, drop strings, buttercream swags, drop flowers, or royal icing flowers on their cakes. But it was still a decent place to start. It was the first step that helped me move to the next step, then to the next.
This is were the problem lies with Wilton..There is a lot of instructors that finish third course and start teaching..Im sorry, there is not enough info after you finish a third course to be a teacher..I always think you should go and learn more before even start playing with that thought. But it happens very often.
Another thing that is true, the majority of the people that take wilton, dont do it to become professionals, they are mostly stay at home mom's. But here and there you will find one that has abbilitties that could take them a lot farther than just wilton.
Edna
aggiechef.............Isn't the CCS just the most fun! Gosh, everytime I go there I spend a chunk of change adding to my ever growing cake toy box. 
We will have to meet up there and have lunch at Cafe Adobe in the near future. If you like Mexican food that is.
The cleanup is going pretty good. Most businesses are back open and the Boardwalk is coming back strong and even better than before Ike. He, Fertitto, is putting in a Dungeon Drop if you can believe that! It is looking like a lot of fun for those that can handle the rides such as this and the Bullet (roller coaster).
Seabrook/Kemah had a volunteer cleanup day this past Saturday to help get some of, or all of, the debris cleaned up under,around, and alongside the big bridge. It has just been awful to see it so litered with remnants of peoples homes and the many businesses that were completely destroyed.
Anyway, it is looking good so come on over and have a look around soon. Fertittos' plan is to have the Boardwalk back 100% by Spring Break. 
Sorry guys for the OT....................................Aggiechef, we should probably pm our conversation.
**This is based on my experience in class and on my teacher**
I was really enthusiatic about the classes. I learned really basic stuff, some of it sooo basic that I had already learned it simply be reading it off here.
After a few classes I realized that no matter how hard I tried, at the end of the day she would tell everyone they did a good job regardless if they learned or not. Granted she would sit and explain the steps again but if you got it, you got it. At the end of the day her job isn't to grade you, its just to explain the steps.
Like many of said, the point of these classes isn't to make a professional out of you but to give you a head start. My Michaels offers a gumpaste flowers class and it was definitely not worth the $35 (plus the materials).
Great for someone looking to learn as a hobby not if you want to become a professional.
Hope this helps!
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