>So what you are saying is, for the case where the person takes formal
>education and apprenticeship concurrently, say the formal education
>finishes after 1-2 years, but the person remains apprentice status an
>extra 2-3 years so that after s/he accumulate a total of around 5 years
>of apprenticeship expereince, s/he can becomes a pastry chef?


>From what I know about Australian baking and cookery training which is
patterned from the UK standard. An aspiring baker or chef can apply for
apprenticeship right after he or she finishes year 12. I know some
people there who started their training after year 10 only.
When I was there for some time I noticed that the to gain qualification
in your trade that you trained for takes 4 years.
You can either be a baker nor a pastry cook but not yet a master baker
or a pastry chef. The latter needs formal training from a recognized
institution.and after that should have some years of experience before
you can be considered fullyqualified to an advanced degree which I
recognized as person of good capability. that justify that 10 years is
the average time to be really good as a baker or a pastry chef , that
is basing from the time you started your apprenticeship.

>n your opinion, is it better and more popular to do formal education
>(like TAFE etc) and apprenticeship concurrently?

Its better to do both....I have seen in Willam Angliss apprentices who
at the same time trained in school for formal education.
The problem with apprenticeship you are limited only to the specific
line of the bakery or patisserie you are doing your training.,
therefore you have a narrow perspective of your trade.
In addition to that during apprenticeship you are only allowed to visit
the school at least a week per month and to talk with your teachers in
school.
I observed that even after the finished their apprenticeship and
judging their performances I still don;t find it satisfactory.
Therefore the combination of schooling and actual training is the best
option

>How about do formal education first, and then find work in a pastry as
>an apprentice? If I do this, how long would the apprenticeship takes?
>Just 2-3 years since I already got the education or the pastries will
>still insist on 5 years? The only reason I am considering this path is
>I might take a part-time job while doing formal education like going to
>TAFE.

You can do that but most Australian bakery and patisserie establishment
seldom accept an untrained apprentice for good quality work. Yes you
might have good schooling but you still lack skill to work in the fast
spaced conditions of the kitchen.
You might end up just a kitchen hand...instead even of a pastry cook.

Only the apprenticeship can give you the required skill and confidence
that some graduates of the patisserie education sometimes lack.
These establishment needs skilled people first than educated ones so
you can gain a better employment status then.

If you have no bakery or patisserie experience and would like to earn
as you learn then go the apprenticeship way then the academic training
later.
On the other hand if you already had sound baking knowledge then you
can go the schooling and there is no need for apprenticeship.