A growth industry in a down economy
It is a well-versed truism that higher education leads to higher earnings.
However, in a down economy, it isn’t just having a degree that’s
important. The subject you study plays a key role in determining whether your
credentials are a passport to a successful career. A degree from a culinary
college or cooking school will provide just that. After the travel industry,
the food service industry is the fastest growing sector of the US economy.
The restaurant trade in particular is booming. Americans are eating out more
than ever, with the result that sales reached over $400 billion in 2002, up
4% on 2001. The upward trend is set to continue with sales in 2003 estimated
to increase by another 4.5%.
The healthy state of the restaurant industry is good news for anyone training
in the culinary arts today. The US department of labor reports that job openings
in the industry will be plentiful through at least 2010. Also good news is
the fact that 31% of restaurant income in 2002 went on salaries and wages.
Demand is increasing fastest at the top end of the market, which is where the executive chef positions and higher salaries are to be found.
Get the skills for success
The educational training you receive in a culinary arts degree program can
provide you with the knowledge and expertise to work in whatever part of the
culinary industry you choose.
Orlando
Culinary Academy and
California
School of Culinary Arts likewise can equip students with the broad-based, hands-on experience they
need to make the most of the diversity of rewarding career opportunities in
the culinary and hospitality industries.
Many schools, such as those mentioned, are associated with the world-renowned
Le Cordon Bleu. If that is what you are looking for, Le
Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Atlanta*
or Le Cordon Bleu College of
Culinary Arts Las Vegas** might be for you. The Le
Cordon Bleu Culinary Program at Minneapolis/St
Paul offers industry-current facilities in which to perfect your techniques and
release your creativity.
A quality culinary degree program can provide students with the skills and
knowledge they need to master recognized traditions, learn the latest innovations
and develop their own style as a chef. Students can learn the theory and the
practice, from the technicalities of sanitation to the techniques of classical
French cooking, and get a feel for the realities of the restaurant business,
bolstered by placements spent gaining valuable hands-on experience. Programs
such as those offered at
California
School of Culinary Arts and
Orlando
Culinary Academy include externships that put students into real-life restaurant environments,
providing opportunities to gain practical know-how and make valuable contacts
within the industry.
There are many types of culinary degree programs available so it is important
to consider whether certain areas of the industry are likely to suit you better.
If the management side of the industry is better suited to your strengths,
restaurant management and hospitality degree programs at Pennsylvania
Culinary Institute or Scottsdale
Culinary Institute can provide the
relevant knowledge to develop your business acumen. Alternatively, Western
Culinary Institute offers
an Associate of Occupational Studies in Le Cordon Bleu Hospitality & Restaurant
Management, and
California
School of Culinary Arts offers a Hospitality and Restaurant Management diploma program designed to
get your career started fast.
A future of choice
Once, cooking was once seen as either a hobby or a chore. Now it is rightly
regarded as a highly skilled profession within a multi-billion dollar industry.
The restaurant industry is now the biggest employer in the US besides the government.
11.7 million employees – 9% of all people employed in the US – work
in the restaurant industry. By 2012 it is estimated that the number of employees
will rise to 13.3 million. There is clearly a bright future for anyone training
in culinary arts and science today.
It may be your dream to work as a chef in a busy restaurant, where you’ll
thrive on the pressure. Or you may prefer a career as a nutritionist at a peaceful
health resort. Whatever you chose to do with your culinary degree, the right
program for you will open the door to an exciting career within a dynamic,
evolving industry.
* Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Atlanta is a branch campus of Western
Culinary Institute, Portland, OR.
** Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Las Vegas is a branch campus of
Scottsdale Culinary Institute, Scottsdale, AZ.
Sources:
http://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.us.htm
www.restaurant.org/research
http://culinary-careers.org
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