Culinary arts school questions

[Scarlett]

Has anyone or your child gone to such a school? My step son is only 12 but is interested.

 

If you can, do you might saying how much it cost, what kinds of jobs do you end up with and what kind of pay.

[jenn-]

I am no help but thought I would give you a friendly bump.

[Ravin]

My DH did. One of my stepsons is a senior in high school and interested. He's in a voc ed program for that purpose. DH has steered him to the excellent program at one of the CC's in the area, rather than an expensive private school such as the one he attended (and didn't graduate from because he couldn't afford several K in make up classes on top of the original tuition he paid. He got pneumonia and developed pleuritis, was very very sick and missed some class. They wouldn't allow him to test out of the missed classes.) In retrospect he wishes he'd gone to the CC.

[sparrow]

My daughter is nearly 12 and she's pretty sure she is going to get a culinary degree "as soon as possible" :) . Our local CC offers a degree program and while college is always expensive, CCs are much less so!  I would definitely have him check around for CCs that offer it.

 

The way I look at it, she will ALWAYS be able to find a job with a culinary degree--it may not be a great job, at first, but she would be able to support herself until she either worked her way up or found a better position. Her goal is to work as a high-end pastry chef and eventually open her own bakery. I never had such goals at 11.

 

 

[higginszoo]

My ds is 15 and a student at our local CC.  He'd love to do Culinary Arts, but it looks like it will have to wait, because the CC and both private culinary schools in town won't take him until he's 18 because of insurance/liability issues -- even the private school that dh is friends with the director.  He's actually interested in food science, industrial packaging, maybe things like backpacking meals and MREs, so the culinary certification would just be a jumping off point and a way to get slightly better jobs as he works his way through his 4 year degree (probably in Chemistry).  Right now, he's working on his 4 year core courses, might get an AS ... then, when he's 18, he'll probably do culinary at the CC, and then transfer to a 4 year school after that.

[JuanitaL]

I have one who has recently thrown this out there as a possible career path. I'm skeptical because he never shows any interest in cooking. He can cook some things, and he will if I ask him, but I have never caught him in the kitchen just spontaneously wanting to whip up something.

[idnib]

I agree with looking at CC programs to save money.

 

My friends in the restaurant business agree that people who come out of culinary school can make good tasting and beautiful food but are often too slow for a restaurant line.

 

15-18 is a great time to start a stage (check pronunciation in wiki link), developing knife skills in the meantime: 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stage_(cooking)

http://herbivoracious.com/2012/03/so-you-want-to-stage-intern-at-a-restaurant.html

[Scarlett]

Thanks everyone...very helpful!

[lollie010]

My dh went to CC culinary school and has worked every position in the restaurant industry. He now has an amazing job teaching culinary arts in a high school and at a local culinary institute. He also teaches community continuing and community education courses for a university. He is doing what he loves and teaching others to so the same. There are wonderful opportunities for students willing to work hard. In our area of the country it doesn't really matter where the degree came from, but the degree is important. A consistent work history is also vital. If you have any questions about curriculum and requirements or anything else just let me know and I would be glad to ask Dh. He has come a long way from line cook to professor. :)

[PeterPan]

My dh went to CC culinary school and has worked every position in the restaurant industry. He now has an amazing job teaching culinary arts in a high school and at a local culinary institute. He also teaches community continuing and community education courses for a university. He is doing what he loves and teaching others to so the same. There are wonderful opportunities for students willing to work hard. In our area of the country it doesn't really matter where the degree came from, but the degree is important. A consistent work history is also vital. If you have any questions about curriculum and requirements or anything else just let me know and I would be glad to ask Dh. He has come a long way from line cook to professor. :)

Does he have anything he suggests very capable students work through?  The CIA text seemed a bit much.  I got the Martha Stewart Cooking School book for her.  She also wants to work through Alton Brown's stuff.  

[celticmom]

:lurk5: Dd8 has also expressed interest in a culinary career. She wants to open a restuarant that caters to those who have allergies or intolerances or can't have gluten.

[SLT]

Has anyone or your child gone to such a school? My step son is only 12 but is interested.

 

If you can, do you might saying how much it cost, what kinds of jobs do you end up with and what kind of pay.

I have a close friend who went to Johnson and Wales in Charlotte. She spent almost 60k on tuition for two years. She is an amazing pastry chef, but could not get a job in our saturated market. She worked as a chart room person for a medical office at $10 an hour for years. She now stays at home and makes wedding cakes, birthday cakes, etc out of her home and makes fair money on the things that she makes.

[Night Elf]

My dd15 just started on a culinary arts track in public high school. If you complete it, it's a 3-year program that I'm assuming prepares you for going into a culinary arts program in college. Perhaps someone could go straight into a restaurant at a bottom level position though. I've no idea. They are spending the first 6 weeks just learning about sanitation. Their first labs will be knife skills. She's looking forward to that.

 

My oldest dd had an interest in being trained as a pastry chef but we wondered what kinds of skills she needed before she went into a program. Like knife skills. Do most of the incoming students know that or are they given enough time in school to learn it? Unfortunately, my dd decided against any college for now. She's waitressing and enjoying herself. She's certainly not making good money though. I'll have to ask if there would be an opportunity for her to move into the kitchen. On the cooking competition shows I've watched, there are always self learned people. I just wondered how realistic it is to find a good job without any formal training.

[jelbe5]

My younger dd wants to be a chef. The local CC has an excellent 2 year program and just opened a student- run restaurant last year. And we have totally lucked out ... the head of the program is a homeschooling father and the family joined our homeschool support group last year!

[higginszoo]

I signed my ds up for a year of http://rouxbe.com/, which was a good mix of online videos and tests and some ideas for practical exercises.

He also took a Kitchen Chemistry class through MIT Open Courses http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/special-programs/sp-287-kitchen-chemistry-spring-2009/  

It made a good introduction to more 'serious' culinary study, and I counted it as a half year of high school credit.  

[Night Elf]

You really don't need anything to get a job in a restaurant.  You can get a job with no experience and no skills.  It probably helps to have skills.  But after three years of that I think he would have plenty of skill.  It's a lot about working hard.  Nothing in any school can really prepare you for what you need to succeed in many cooking positions.

 

You don't need any skill prior to going into pastry (or culinary for that matter).  Really, they start with the absolute basic skills. 

 

You probably have more options if you have the training, but it will still be about working your way up in a lot of cases. 

 

 

 

Thanks. Good to know.

[Mothersweets]

I saw this offered by the Great Courses/Teaching Company people - THe Everyday Gourmet: Rediscovering the Lost Art of Cooking.

 

Appears to be a cooking course put together by the Culinary Arts of America and the Teaching Company. Looks like it is on sale now, too.

[Scarlett]

Thanks everyone you have been so helpful. I am going to dive into the links in this thread ad see what I can find. He was looking on line at a two year program that costs 30k which is about what Wendy said she spent.....but it is more than I think he should spend. So I am going to look at the cc options and steer him that direction if possible. He is only 12 so we have time but it is fun to think about and good for him to have goals.

[Scarlett]

I signed my ds up for a year of http://rouxbe.com/, which was a good mix of online videos and tests and some ideas for practical exercises.

He also took a Kitchen Chemistry class through MIT Open Courses http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/special-programs/sp-287-kitchen-chemistry-spring-2009/

It made a good introduction to more 'serious' culinary study, and I counted it as a half year of high school credit.

That rouxbe on line school looks awesome! If he was here with us all the time I would enroll him in it.

[Artichoke]

I saw this offered by the Great Courses/Teaching Company people - THe Everyday Gourmet: Rediscovering the Lost Art of Cooking.

 

Appears to be a cooking course put together by the Culinary Arts of America and the Teaching Company. Looks like it is on sale now, too.

Thanks for posting this. I think we might order it.

[source of joy]

I went to a culinary school.  It cost about 25K (about 10 years ago).  It took 2 years part time.  I had to do an externship that I was paid for.  I did my externship at an upscale assisted living place.  I loved it.

 

In terms of jobs, there are various opportunities.  You can work in a restaurant (upscale, chain, diner, etc.)  You can work in hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living places, cafeterias.  There is catering, events, etc.  There are some more unusual types of jobs out there too working for magazines, food styling, and even competitive cooking.

 

The pay varies a lot. 

 

I think the biggest consideration is to realize that cooking is not necessarily a 9 to 5 job.  If you want to work in an upscale restaurant you will work late nights, holidays, and weekends.  It's hard work.  You don't always get to be creative like they do on Food TV.  You spend a lot of time cleaning and lifting heavy things.  But it can be rewarding for other reasons.  It's rarely dull.  It's fast paced.  It's not boring. 

 

I specifically chose the assisted living place because it was a bit less pressure and the hours were very good.  I didn't want to work until midnight... KWIM?  So I'd go in at noon and be out by 7.  I often worked alone (had to cook for about 70 people).  I was allowed some freedom in terms of what to cook and how to cook it.  I was allowed to write menus sometimes.  It suited me.  Plus I've always liked older people so I enjoyed that aspect of it.  I'd sometimes even get to decorate birthday cakes. 

 

HTHs...

[Mrs_JWM]

My brother went to the CIA in Hyde Park, which now costs about $15,000 a semester. It was amazing. His graduation dinner was sublime. Actually, he has never made me a meal that was less than stellar.

 

He worked here http://www.rosaliescucina.com/

 

and here http://turningstone.com/dining/wildflowers/

 

and here http://www.stowe.com/explore/dining/solstice-restaurant/

 

and now he works here http://www.henofthewood.com/ , which has been a James Beard finalist two years in a row.

 

It has been so, so much hard work. The schedule is crazy, but he loves to cook. He's now a sous-chef, and I think he graduated about 10 years ago, so that might give you an idea about what kind of advancement can take place. He makes a decent living.

 

My cousin runs a BOCES culinary arts program, and those kids do a great job. They have a "restaurant" open to the public two days a week. My impression is that a BOCES or CC program can definitely prepare you well, but man...the CIA is the best America has to offer.

[busymotherof4]

My brother is a chef for a fancy Japanese restaurant. He learned everything through on the job training. He worked at various restaurants on the way but was mostly cooking simple food like burgers. Now he is starting to get some classes at a CC. This is so he is able to learn to run a restaurant. I think some of his 1 st classes are things like food safety and something about ordering the food. The person who hired him was Cordon blue (sp?) trained and told my brother not to go there but to learn on the job.

I wouldn't spend the money unless my child loved to cook and had spent time in a restaurant environment.

[momto2Cs]

Our CC has a culinary arts program (we're in foodie land/wine country) that is very good...but costs a lot less than the big-name schools. It's santarosa.edu. If you search around their catalog, I think it has a vocations listing for that program.

 

My husband is working through their certificate program right now! It is very good, challenging, and thorough. He really enjoys it though!

[Scarlett]

I have zero desire to ever work in the food industry.  LOL...so this interest of my ds's is foreign to me.  He helps me in the kitchen a great deal. 

 

I worked as a teen at a dairy queen type place...and after I graduated I worked at a steak house...I hated it.  I would rather clean toilets than work in food service. I have no idea why!

 

But thankfully some people really enjoy it...because I do enjoy going out to eat!  ;)

[Scarlett]

Yeah I definitely recommend that he gets a job in food service to get a feel for whether or not he wants to do that.  I think if I go back to work someday I'd like to do something like be a personal chef for a family or maybe an extra for a catering company.  I don't want to work in a fast paced restaurant.  Not my thing...

 

 

I gave him all the highlights of what I read on this thread and yes he will be strongly encouraged to work in the food industry as soon as he is old enough.  We don't have the money to send him to a cooking school...but I don't think we would anyway before he tries working in a restaurant.

[Mrs_JWM]

Yes - definitely work in food service! My brother worked at Ponderosa - totally different from where he works now, but he saw how kitchens worked early on.