Culinary Careers for Adults
Chefs and Cooks are in High Demand in the Food Industry
For anyone thinking about entering an adult education program to study culinary arts, the forecast for job growth by National Restaurant Association is for 2 million additional jobs through 2017. A career in the culinary field is one of the fastest growing in the service sector today. The fastest growing regions for culinary careers are in the South and Southwest, which expect growths as much as 20 percent or more.
Culinary careers include chefs, pastry chefs, cooks, and food preparation workers. They work in restaurants, hotels, hospitals, nursing homes, colleges, private industry, and many other food service industries.
Culinary Employees
There are four primary types of culinary employees. They have distinct duties and responsibilities which include:
- Executive Chef – oversees large kitchen activities, such as: menu planning, recipe creation, and supervising all kitchen employees.
- Chef – oversees all kitchen activities, such as: menu planning, recipe creation, food orders, specific cooking responsibilities, and supervising employees in their area in large kitchens or all employees in smaller kitchens.
- Cook – daily food preparation and cooking. They typically specialize in specific types of food preparation, such as: fry cooks, grill cooks, pastry cooks, and vegetable cooks. Depending on the size of the kitchen there may be several cooks.
- Food Preparation Workers – work under supervision of chefs and cooks in the preparation of vegetables, salads, soups, etc.
Adult Education and Training for Culinary Careers
Some culinary skills can be learned on the job; however to become a chef and eventually an executive chef, advanced education is required. Continuing education can be obtained in colleges and culinary institutes to obtain a culinary degree to become a chef or other managerial positions. Most culinary institutes award Associate Degrees.
The advantage of completing a culinary degree program is the ability to start right away in as a cook or chef, without having to spend time in a lower skilled position. Also, culinary degree holders typically begin their first job in better hotels and fine dining restaurants.
Culinary degree programs prepare students by allowing them to spend most of their time learning how to:
- Prepare all types of food, soups, sauces, cultural cooking, pastry, and more
- Use and care of kitchen equipment
- Earn a Health and Sanitation certificate
- Food science
- Control costs
- Purchase food and kitchen equipment
- Plan menus
- Customer relations
- Manage employees and accounting
Culinary Career Working Conditions
Better restaurants and institutional kitchens have well organized work areas, modern equipment, and air conditioning. Small and older kitchens are typically not this well equipped.
Most employees typically work shifts; normally working weekends, evenings, and holidays. In some cases Chefs and cooks may be required to work several hours in the morning, take the afternoon off, and then work in the evening.
Employees typically must spend long hours standing, working in close quarters with other employees, lifting heavy pots and pans, and working near hot stoves and ovens. As with all jobs there are hazards, which include: slips, falls, cuts, and burns.
Culinary Career Income
Culinary degree holders can expect to earn the following average annual earnings, as reported by U.S. Office of Personnel Management in May 2008:
- Line Cook – $23,000
- Cook Assistant -- $26,000
- Sous Chef -- $40,000
- Executive Chef -- $70,000
- Executive Pastry Chef -- $57,000
Incomes vary greatly by region and food establishment. Higher salaries and incomes can be earned working in fine restaurants and hotels. Top executive chefs’ earn incomes exceeding $100,000 annually. Visit 10 Tips for Adults Going Back to School for important information to consider when going back to school.
