About ADVANCE Continuing Education – Your Partner in Food Safety

Our Mission:

• • At ADVANCE Continuing Education, our mission is to empower individuals and businesses with the essential food safety skills needed to protect public health and food service establishments. We are committed to delivering high-quality, practical, and officially recognized certification courses across British Columbia.

The ADVANCE Advantage:

• • Unrivalled Expertise and Reputation: What sets us apart is our team of Certified Public Health Inspectors who serve as all of our
    FOODSAFE instructors. Their direct experience in food safety inspections and public health enforcement provides students with invaluable real-world insights and practical knowledge that goes well beyond textbook learning.
  • 125,000 Satisfied Students: Since 2003, we have successfully certified more students than any other FOODSAFE provider in history!
  • Official Recognition: We provide official FOODSAFE certificates issued by the local Provincial Health Authority, ensuring your certification is widely accepted and respected.
  • Community Focus: We are deeply rooted in the BC community, offering in-person classes in key locations like Vancouver, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Richmond, New Westminster, Surrey, Langley, Nanaimo, Kelowna, Vernon, Kamloops and Penticton, as well as flexible online options.
  • Multilingual Accessibility: Our commitment to inclusivity is reflected in our extensive multilingual workbooks and exams, making food safety training accessible to diverse communities.

Our History & Values:

Advance Continuing Education is owned and operated by Keith Herle and Sandra Herle, who both share dual passions for food safety and education.

Keith Herle received a B.A. and B.Sc. in Microbiology from UBC then completed the two-year training program at BCIT to become a certified Public Health Inspector. He began working as a Public Health Inspector for Vancouver Coastal Health Authority in 1994 and soon after began also teaching FOODSAFE part time, opening Advance Continuing Education in 2003. In 2010 he left Vancouver Coastal Health to teach future Public Health Inspectors in BCIT’s Environmental Public Health program. Keith continues to maintain this full-time role at BCIT in addition to helping operate Advance Continuing Education.

Sandra Herle received a B.A. and a B.Ed. from UBC. She taught for several years in the private and public school systems, then turned her passion for education towards helping Advance Continuing Education grow into Canada’s #1 choice for FOODSAFE. If you contact us for any reason, you will most likely be dealing with Sandra!

Since its beginning in 2003, Advance Continuing Education has evolved from Keith teaching all of the classes in his spare time, to now employing approximately 25 instructors, all of whom teach part-time in addition to being working or retired Public Health Inspectors. These instructors have been selected to work with us because of their outstanding qualities of professionalism, integrity, personability, humor, energy, and dedication to ensuring their students learn as much as possible about food safety while earning this valuable food safety certificate.

Learn more about the Public Health Inspectors who lead our courses – Meet Our Instructors!

We believe that Public Health Inspectors have the ideal combination of education and experience for teaching FOODSAFE, so all our instructors are also working Certified Public Health Inspectors.  After at least two years of intensive education in food safety to become a Public Health Inspector, our instructors each have had years of experience inspecting all types of restaurants and food-related businesses, looking at good and bad food-handling practices – exactly what the FOODSAFE Program is all about. They love enriching the course with stories of some of the more interesting things they have seen while conducting their surprise inspections.

At ADVANCE Continuing Education, we pride ourselves on offering unparalleled food safety training led by active and retired Certified Public Health Inspectors (PHIs). These dedicated professionals bring years of direct experience from their health authority inspections, foodborne illness investigations, and public health enforcement to every classroom.

Why Our Instructors Make a Difference:

• Real-World Experience: Our CPHI instructors share invaluable real-life restaurant inspection stories and case studies, providing practical context to food safety principles.
• Unmatched Expertise: They possess deep knowledge of BC’s Food Premises Regulation, HACCP principles, and the latest food safety standards.
• Engaging & Educational: Our instructors are skilled educators who make complex food safety topics engaging and easy to understand, ensuring you not only learn but retain critical information.
• Commitment to Public Health: Their passion for public health and food safety is evident in their teaching, inspiring students to uphold the highest standards.

Learn from the best in food safety training – enrol in a course today!

Here is just a small sample of our approximately 25 excellent FOODSAFE instructors:

Amardeep Kambo is a seasoned public health professional with a Master of Science in Entomology. He also holds a Certificate in Public Health Inspection (CPHI[C]). He worked as a Public Health Inspector with Fraser Health for over 18 years, where he conducted food safety inspections, provided education to food service operators, and supported public health initiatives across diverse community settings. Currently Amardeep is an instructor in the Environmental Public Health program at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) in Burnaby, BC. With over two decades of experience delivering the widely recognized FOODSAFE Level 1 and Level 2 courses, he is dedicated to educating and empowering food handlers. His passion lies in promoting a strong culture of food safety and guiding operators in implementing best practices to protect public health and ensure safe food environments.

Leanne Perrich has a CPHI(C) and a Master of Public Health, and has been an Environmental Health Officer for over 5 years. She enjoys instructing the FOODSAFE level 1 course to share her experiences in the profession and general public health knowledge.

Dragana Djordjevic: I have over 25 years of experience as an Environmental Health Officer / Certified Public Health Inspector, and have completed my Masters Degree in Organizational Leadership.  A part of my daily duties is to promote and maintain high standards of environmental public health. I am involved in the investigation of public complaints related to food, water, or animal contacts that are reportable under the BC Health Act. I also investigate and provide Fraser Health Authority recommendations to the Community Residential Care Facilities during the gastrointestinal outbreaks. I have been a certified FOODSAFE Instructor for over two decades for organizations including Advance Continuing Education, the University of the Fraser Valley, and the Abbotsford Community Services School. 

Michele Arthur is an Environmental Health Officer (EHO) and holds her certificate in Public Health Inspection (CPHI(C)). She has many years of experience working in healthcare before becoming an EHO. She utilizes this knowledge and passion for teaching FOODSAFE, as well as in her role as a health inspector. Michele has taught for Advance Continuing Education since 2023 and promotes both laughter and food safety in her classes.

Amerdeep Sidhu is an Environmental Health Officer with Fraser Health and holds the Certificate in Public Health Inspection (Canada). With a strong background in food safety and public health, Amerdeep brings practical knowledge and real-world experience to the classroom. As a certified instructor, he is committed to helping learners understand the importance of safe food handling and how it plays a vital role in protecting public health. Amerdeep’s teaching approach combines clear instruction with engaging, real-life examples to ensure students leave the course with the knowledge and confidence to apply safe food practices in their workplaces.

FOODSAFE Secretariat

The FOODSAFE Program is a comprehensive food safety training program designed for the food service industry. It is developed and managed by the BC FoodSafe Secretariat in partnership with the BC Centre for Disease Control, the BC Regional Health Authorities, the BC Restaurant and Food Services Association and WorkSafeBC.