By Sarah Jane Udall
Entertainment Magazine
The culinary industry is one of the fastest
growing, and most exciting fields to get involved in, and now is a
great time to embark on a pathway towards a culinary career.
Enrolling in a culinary school, or culinary
degree or certificate program will provide you with the knowledge,
training, and skills to pursue a number of culinary careers from a
pastry chef to a wine expert. Culinary degree
programs typical offer a very hands-on curriculum that is based on the
teaching of cooking and baking skills, palate training, and the design
and creation of different foods and menus.
This approach will help you to learn the
elements that are most essential for a successful culinary career. In
training for your culinary career, you will study the practice of food
preparation as well as take courses in nutrition, sanitation, menu
development, food purchasing, kitchen management, as well as accounting,
and business management.
Culinary/Cooking
Culinary Career Profiles
Upon completion of a culinary program you
will be prepared to pursue diverse opportunities among the culinary
careers. You will also learn how to buy supplies, manage kitchens, and
train a staff, all of which will help you as you look for positions in
the culinary field. With those skills, you can pursue entry-level
positions as a chef, chef’s assistant, or a specialty chef in a
restaurant.
You can also pursue positions as a
pastry chef in a bakery, or become a caterer. You may find career
opportunities with reception centers, restaurants, grocery stores,
specialty food stores, pastry shops, bakeries, hotels, resorts, or you
could use your training to start and run your own food service business.
The growing culinary industry
Culinary careers can also include more than just the creation and preparation of food.
Beyond cooking, a culinary degree can
also prepare you to pursue entry-level positions in management, in
restaurants, hotels, and with other food service operations.
Whatever culinary career you chose to
pursue, know that the competition can be fierce. However, gaining
proper training in the culinary arts will provide you with knowledge,
skills, and a variety of practical experiences across the spectrum of
culinary arts that will better prepare you to be a competitor in the
culinary industry.
U.S. Department of Labor Awards Apprenticeship Grant
The U.S. Department of Labor awarded the
American Culinary Federation Education Foundation (ACFEF), the
educational arm of the American Culinary Federation (ACF), a grant in
the amount of $481,200 for the ACFEF Apprenticeship Program to advance
the growing needs of apprenticeship in the 21st Century.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics, chefs, cooks and food-preparation workers held 3.1 million
jobs in 2006, and an 11 percent increase is expected in these positions
between 2006 and 2016.
As the Department of Labor's only provider
of apprenticeship training for the culinary industry, the further
development of the ACFEF Apprenticeship Program will be instrumental in
providing industry-sanctioned training for chefs in high demand in areas
that lead to a high-wage career path.
The ACFEF Apprenticeship Program offers
industry-sanctioned training that provides a career ladder for higher
wage, in-demand jobs. According to the 2008 ACF Salary Survey, ACF
members earn $14,100 more a year than the average chef or head cook in
the industry.
Full-time employment rates are higher for
ACF members when compared to the entire employment population in the
U.S. In addition, chefs who hold a certified executive chef or certified
executive pastry chef ACF certification earn $10,900 more a year than a
non-certified chef.
The American Culinary Federation, Inc.,
established in 1929, is the premier professional organization for
culinarians in North America. With more than 22,000 members spanning 230
chapters nationwide, ACF is the culinary leader in offering educational
resources, training, apprenticeship and accreditation.
In addition, ACF operates the most
comprehensive certification program for chefs in the United States. ACF
is home to ACF Culinary Team USA, the official representative for the
United States in major international culinary competitions, and the Chef
& Child Foundation.
For more information, visit www.acfchefs.org. ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla., Aug. 6, 2009 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --