March 11, 2009

During these tough economic times, some people are cooking up their own career path, immersing themselves in culinary classes.

"Everybody loves food, everybody loves to eat, and people love to go to restaurants," said one student.

That culinary student's statement pretty much backs up government figures that show the number of food service managers, chef's head cooks and food prep workers increasing 20% by the year 2014. CATEC's culinary instructor, Bob Bressan, says class enrollment has doubled in recent years. "A lot of kids see the need for advancement through credits, and any chef will tell you even in a good business, if the kids have the work ethic and passion, we can teach them the skill," he said.

In addition to developing the skill set, with hands-on work in the classroom, this program requires students to donate 50 hours of community service. It helps to get their name and face out there when it's time to apply for a job.

"There is a demand, and what's nice is that we'll get a lot of the restaurants first because they know the kids coming out of there will be qualified," Bressan said, adding that some students are in fact now working for high-end restaurants in town. Other students have been accepted to prestigious culinary schools.

Culinary student Cameron Taylor says, "Especially with things like the Food Network now, the interest in food and good food has really risen," another factor contributing to the passion for entering a culinary occupation.

Since there will always be a love and need for food, these students are positioning themselves to land those jobs becoming available within the next five years. Taylor said he works as a prep line cook at a local restaurant and was just accepted into the New England Culinary School where he will complete his education to become a chef.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, food service managers can start out making $35,000. Chefs and head cooks salaries start at $26,000.