Chef School Review is a guide to chef schools offering education, diplomas, and degree programs (including Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Programs) in cooking and culinary arts.

According to the National Restaurant Association (NRA), chefs who continue their education and certification training will find top-paying jobs in the culinary arts. After the federal government, the culinary arts industry is the largest single American employer today. More than 12 million culinary arts workers make up the payroll in a business that shows no signs of retreat in a sluggish economy.

While nine out of ten culinary arts employees begin their careers as hourly workers, the NRA reports that more than a third of them put wages aside to pay for additional training at culinary arts schools and culinary arts academies. The culinary industry respects hands-on training, but culinary arts degrees and certifications open doors for you. According to the US Department of Labor, "Experts agree that the best careers in culinary arts, restaurant management, or pastry and baking begin at an accredited culinary art school."

The Department of Labor says that while jobs will be "plentiful" in the culinary arts through the end of the decade, competition will be fierce among culinary arts professionals for top-end, high-paying Executive Chef, Sous Chef, Garde Manger, and Sommelier positions.

Working Culinary Arts Magic and Mastery
The Department of Labor ties the salaries and projected number of new top-pay hires in the culinary arts field with specialization and culinary arts certification. Of course, Executive Chefs will always find themselves at the top of the food chain in culinary arts professions. Executive Chefs keep close to the oven, but more often are supervisors that juggle a team of culinary artists in the restaurant. They manage overall menu planning, hiring of additional culinary arts professionals, and wrangle the food budget.

Sous-chefs are next in line in the culinary arts hierarchy, specializing in sauces that distinguish the kitchen, managing and training the culinary arts staff, and ordering specialized equipment. Sous-chefs typically receive extensive culinary arts training in certified culinary arts academies.

The Garde Manger is a culinary arts professional who works wonders with cold food items and leftovers. A qualified Garde Manger is a culinary arts magician who can turn yesterday's beef entrée into today's cold chopped salad. Many culinary arts schools offer Garde Manger training as a major component in their culinary arts degree path.

Then there are the top-paid, highly trained culinary arts professionals that work as Pastry Chefs and Sommeliers. These are typically certified culinary arts specialists who know how to please the clientele. A well-paid sommelier that knows the intricacies of wine and dessert spirits can bolster the overall kitchen revenue.

Culinary Arts Certification and Training Pays Dividends
The American Culinary Federation is the accrediting agency for more than 100 recognized culinary arts training schools and culinary apprenticeship programs across the country. Many chefs begin their development in post-high school culinary arts vocational programs. They move ahead to formal culinary arts programs at independent cooking schools or professional culinary arts institutes.

There are comprehensive two-year associate culinary arts degrees or two-year culinary arts certification programs at hospitality schools and culinary arts academies. Depending on your time and resources, you can travel as far as you like on the culinary arts degree path, taking four-year culinary arts degrees and graduate degrees in food business management from universities and culinary arts colleges.

The American Culinary Federation administers the following major certifications:

• CMC or CMPC: Certified Master Chef/ Certified Master Pastry Chef
• CCA: Certified Culinary Administrator
• CEC: Certified Executive Chef/ Certified Executive Pastry Chef
• PCEC: Personal Certified Executive Chef
• CCE: Certified Culinary Educator
• CSCE: Certified Secondary Culinary Educator
• CCC: Certified Chef de Cuisine
• CWPC: Certified Working Pastry Chef
• CSC: Certified Sous Chef
• PCC: Personal Certified Chef
• CC: Certified Culinarian or Pastry Culinarian

Posted on February 22, 2005 at 3:09 PM

Earlier: Culinary School Advice – Interview with Chef Ben Christie
Later: All Power to the Chef!
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