To go to culinary school or not, that is the question that aspiring chefs face when considering possible training routes. Some people argue that culinary schools are a waste of time and resources, while some contend these schools are the authority on kitchen matters. Regardless of the chosen route, veteran chefs advise people to get some experience first if they want to be professional chefs.
Experts agree that culinary education is an expensive venture, and students should make excellent use of all allocated time and take their exams seriously. Christopher Koetke, the dean of the School of Culinary Arts at Kendall College, agrees that culinary education is expensive. “Doing culinary education is an expensive proposition, and we believe you have to put in significant time. You can’t shorten the cycle,” he says. “We have classes that purposefully put the student under a fair amount of stress and comprehensive exams that are very serious.” Koetke emphasizes that the business requires discipline, passion, and intensity.
The Advantages and Disadvantages of Going to Culinary School
If you opt to go to culinary school, you will learn about food history, its preparation methods, culture, and different techniques for preparing dishes. You will at times work together as a team with other students and hence sharpen your team skills, gain knowledge on purchasing and storing ingredients, and cover topics such as pastry cooking, management, butchery, and nutrition.
The most obvious disadvantage of attending culinary school is the debt with which students are burdened after finishing their studies. Culinary schools are very expensive, with fees ranging from $50,000 to $100,000. A limited number of scholarships may be available. Students who have been through culinary school often find it difficult to make ends meet even when they are employed. Most employers prefer experience to education, and qualified culinary school students may find themselves starting as line cooks with meager salaries.
In culinary schools, most of the learning is theoretical in nature. It is argued that culinary school may not prepare a chef well enough for the stresses in the kitchen. Unfortunately, over the years culinary school graduates have acquired a bad reputation and are regarded as poor chefs.
The Advantages and Disadvantages of Gaining Work Experience
Acquiring hands-on experience in the kitchen is considered a respectable means of training in the industry. A person with work experience is assumed to be better able to handle the kitchen pressures and may be conversant with many cooking methods, tips, and secrets that a culinary school graduate.
Those who decide to train on the job will face challenges. The main aim of the restaurant is to make quality food, and head chefs are not known for accepting excuses for poor performance or lack of knowledge. In-the-kitchen training requires one to learn quickly and to be adept at picking up fundamentals, recipes and food culture.
Earning Top Pay
The best way to garner a top salary is longevity in the industry. In a recent survey, sous chefs with 15 to 20 years of experience were found to be earning salaries averaging $42,000, while executive chefs with more than 24 years experience received annual salaries averaging $79,000. Starting chef salaries are on average $13.10 an hour. Dory Ford is skeptical about the modern cooking education which leaves students in huge amounts of debt. He advises those wishing to become professional chefs to first work in the industry before considering culinary education. He looks for passion, not necessarily for culinary school qualifications, when he is considering chefs to hire.
Job Outlook
Employment prospects for chefs are very good. The food industry is expanding, and many chefs are needed in big hotels and restaurants. Chefs with experience in the industry are in advantageous positions for securing employment. Chefs straight from culinary schools may find it more difficult to secure top positions in the industry and may be forced to start at the bottom. The opportunities for applying chef skills are numerous, from making freelance dishes at home to getting contracts at major hotels and restaurants that need specific skill sets. Experienced chefs will earn better pay and the opportunities to advance their careers. Those chefs who have graduated from culinary school may have a difficult time proving that they have the skills, abilities, and experience to handle the demands of the kitchen.
