In recent years there have been about one million working chefs and cooks in the United States. Additionally, other related career paths that culinary graduates follow include food science technicians, dietitians, bakers, culinary educators, food researchers, restaurant managers, test kitchen chefs, and others. The average salary for an executive chef is $62,328 per year. However, salary for chefs depends on several factors, such as their experience and education levels. Restaurant chefs earn an average of about $40,000 per year, while hotel chefs earn an average salary of more than $48,000 per year. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of professionals working as chefs and head cooks could increase by 15% from now through 2031.
Most culinary schools offer certificate programs which require up to one year of study. Many also offer Associate’s programs, which require about two years to complete. A Bachelor’s degree is the most in-depth course of study, and it requires about four years of full-time study.
Many schools divide the curriculum into three parts: basic kitchen skills, chef duties, and food safety. Food safety may well be the most important part of a culinary program. Food safety includes instruction in food storage, food safety laws, and how to properly serve food.
Students often take elective courses that prepare them for owning their own businesses or focusing on specific types of cuisines. They develop critical skills that are required for success in the industry. These include technical skills such as cooking methods, knife skills, seasoning, etc. Professional skills include those obtained during an externship or training in a professional kitchen. Business skills include analyzing profit and loss statistics, developing business plans, and fundamentals of restaurant management.
Certification is usually optional for chefs, but it can help you earn promotions or obtain higher-level positions. A specialty culinary certification can enhance your expertise and allow you to develop more advanced culinary skills. Obtaining certification requires a combination of education, work experience, and successful passing of practical and/or written examinations. The American Culinary Federation offers 16 certifications that can benefit chefs. A few of the more common certifications include Certified Fundamentals Cook (CFC), Certified Culinarian (CC), Certified Sous Chef (CSC), and Certified Executive Chef (CEC). The U.S. National Restaurant Association offers various “Serv Safe” certifications for managers and other food service workers.
The STARS® School Management System is a powerful, comprehensive tool that minimizes the need for additional third-party software. It includes features that can enhance the operating efficiency of a culinary school. It runs in the cloud on an IBMi Power 9 platform that is the most secure and dependable in the industry. This is an important feature since hackers attack online sites of educational institutions more than any others. STARS includes all of the basic and advanced features you would expect in an information and records system, as well as extensive reporting capabilities and a fully integrated learning management system (LMS).
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*STARS is an acronym for Student Tracking and Accounting Records System. This type of software is also referred to as a student management system, career college management system, student information management system, campus management software, school information management system, college management system, student record management system, campus management system, student information system software, online student management software, vocational school management system, etc.
