Life at Culinary College

by Robyn Tellefsen

Julia Child (Le Cordon Bleu). Emeril Lagasse (Johnson & Wales University). Michael Chiarello (Culinary Institute of America). What do these world-renowned chefs have in common? They all got their start at

Culinary College

. Here's an inside look at what you can expect from a culinary college education.

What you've seen on the Food Network reflects culinary career reality -- the pace is fast and the pressure is great. Training from an accredited culinary college can equip you to handle these grueling demands.

Choose from associate degree programs that will prepare you for work in the food service industry, or bachelor's degree programs that will prepare you for culinary career leadership. At present, the American Culinary Federation has accredited 169 postsecondary culinary career training programs around the country.

At culinary college, you can expect to spend plenty of hours receiving instruction from master chefs in teaching kitchens. You will also benefit from first-class restaurants on campus for professional training. Plus, culinary college offers externships at local restaurants, hotels, and resorts, which provide hands-on, real-world experience as well as important industry connections for your culinary career.

As a culinary college student, you'll learn good knife techniques, proper use of kitchen equipment, and safe food-handling procedures. You'll take courses in menu planning, nutrition, portion control, purchasing and inventory methods, utilizing leftover food, and proper food storage procedures. You'll also learn sanitation and public health rules for handling food. Plus, you may receive training in banquet service, food service management, and computer accounting and inventory software.

Culinary college also provides the opportunity to meet fellow students with a passion for a culinary career. Some will be coming right out of high school (in 2004, almost 19 percent of cooks and food preparation workers were between 16 and 19 years old, reports the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)); others will already be food service professionals.

According to the BLS, chefs, cooks, and food preparation workers held nearly 3.1 million jobs in 2004, and overall culinary career employment is expected to increase 9 to 17 percent for all occupations by 2014. In May 2004, median hourly earnings of chefs and head cooks were $14.75; private household cooks, $9.42; restaurant cooks, $9.39; and institution and cafeteria cooks, $9.10.

At culinary college, you could meet the next Julia, Emeril, or Michael. Or you could become one of them.