The culinary arts present young men and women today with an irresistible draw. Food is an integral part of life, and for many, it is also a passion. Just as people love to eat delicious meals, others love to immerse themselves in the preparation of fresh ingredients and creation of appealing dishes. Given the consistent need for cooking professionals as well as our natural love of food, many people decide to turn what they love into a career.

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PTI.EDU
HOW TO
START A CAREER IN
CULINARY ARTS
The
culinary
arts
present
young men and women today with
an i r r e s i s t i b l e draw. Food is an
integral part of life, and for many,
it is also a p a s s i o n . Just as people
love to eat delicious meals, others
love
to
immerse
themselves
in
f r e s h ingredients and creation of
appealing dishes. Given the consistent
need for cooking professionals as
well as our natural love of food,
Becoming a chef isn’t as simple as working your way
up from a busboy, though. Competition in today’s
professional food and beverage industry is tight, and even
apprenticeship programs often fail to meet the needs of
students for a solid, fundamental knowledge of culinary
techniques. Chefs and restaurant owners agree that in
the current market, the best way to develop your skills
as a chef is to graduate from a culinary arts academy
program, then practice, practice, practice.
The Advantage of a
Culinary Academy Education
Professionals in the food industry often assert that it does
not take much to see the difference between formal culinary
many people decide to turn what they
school training and apprenticeship training. After students
Love
in a number of settings, use a wide array of equipment,
Career.
Author:
into a
have undergone formal training, they are prepared to work

2. Qualities to Look for
When Choosing a
Culinary Program
Students
should
look
carefully
at
a
prospective program’s curriculum to make
sure it covers the fundamentals such as
knife skills and cooking techniques, safety
programs
to
hone
specific skills
in those areas.
Formal
culinary
programs also attract some
of the industry’s best to become
p r e p a r e
food from a raw and unprocessed state,
butcher and carve meats, execute dishes
with clean and stylish presentation, as
instructors. These professional chefs have
a passion for food, and they take to heart
the concept that the best chefs emerge
well as demonstrate a number of other
from culinary academies.
fundamental and necessary skills.
Ultimately,
None of these are guaranteed in the
culinary education can be summarized as
informal
training
of
apprenticeships.
Instead, young chefs may find themselves
relying on pre-made foods to create dishes,
including buying in desserts, sauces, precut vegetables, and other components
of the meal. Also, taught only the skills
needed to create the menu dishes they are
assigned, apprentices may not have the
technical knowledge and ability needed to
creatively solve unexpected problems in
the kitchen.
Culinary
academies
provide
ideal
learning environments for up-and-coming
the
advantage
of
formal
and sanitation, and global cuisines needed
to succeed.
Classes should not only
teach culinary skills, but include kitchen
management skills, menu planning and
pricing, ordering supplies and ingredients,
nutrition, and inventory. In other words,
a culinary program worth its salt not only
teaches cooking skills but equips students
with overarching knowledge of the ins and
outs of kitchen and restaurant operations.
Students
should
conduct
thorough
research on the program instructors and
directors as well.
the ability for the learning environment to
shape itself to the needs of the students.
Educators are able to identify problematic
areas in a student’s training and focus
on those skills accordingly. The facilities
themselves incorporate the latest and
most advanced equipment so that
students gain the flexibility to work
on any apparatus within a given
setting. They are also exposed to
a range of dishes and cooking
styles, from American classics to
ethnic delicacies.
chefs. Students are given the time and
materials to learn the fundamentals of
cooking. Instructors work with students to
constantly improve and build on their skills
instead of letting them get by with “good
enough” results. It’s these basic skills
that enable chefs to set themselves apart
and define themselves as professionals.
Students who find they gravitate toward
certain areas of the culinary arts also
have immediate resources within culinary
Author:
John Doe
Editor

3. PTI.EDU
Career programs should rely on teachers with
rich, professional industry experience so that
they can best prepare students to take on the
challenges they will face in the field by sharing
personal experiences.
Take a first-hand look at the classes, too.
Tour the campus. Talk to students. Walk into a
kitchen and watch the chef instructor in action.
Shadow a culinary class to observe how the
instructor teaches and corrects mistakes,
how large or small the class size is, and what
equipment and ingredients are available for
students to use. It is important that students
enter into an culinary classroom that will teach
them to build a solid foundation in fundamental
culinary skills as well as adapt to the variety
of kitchens, restaurants, resorts and hospitality
environments they may face as professional
chefs.
Working as a Culinary
Professional
People from a range of backgrounds are drawn
to culinary professions. These individuals often
share a passion for food and a desire to please
others. Life as a chef undoubtedly demands
hard work, but many also find it incredibly
rewarding work.
Many types of establishments require the
talents of professionally trained chefs,
including:
Restaurants
Hotels & Resorts
Bakeries
Catering Companies
Country Clubs
Casinos & Recreational Centers
Food & Beverage Companies
Entertainment Venues
Cruise Lines and Airlines
Private Chef
There are many opportunities within the field
of culinary arts for those who are willing to
work hard and invest time in their foundational
training. While formal education is not the
only way to get started working on the line,
it provides students with the skills they
need to work their way through the brigade
system and into the position they eventually
desire in a professional kitchen or hospitality
establishment.

4. PTI.EDU
Offering a comprehensive program of
culinary
fundamentals
and
classical
cuisine, the American Academy of Culinary
Arts (AACA) at PTI provides hands-on
skills development in its new Culinary
Author:
Arts Center kitchens and dining lab. AACA
students benefit from PTI’s college-wide
student services, campus events, and
wide range of activities. It is headed by
Executive Chef Norman Peter Hart, a
professional and educational leader in
culinary arts.
The academy is stocked with
state-of-the-industry cooking
equipment to help students
become intimately familiar
with the instruments and
supplies found in restaurants
and kitchens around the
world. The program also
features an internship
in a working kitchen so
students benefit from both an
educational environment as
well as practical application
within a restaurant setting.
To request more information
about the Pittsburghbased AACA Culinary Arts
program, visit aaca.pti.edu
Pittsburgh Technical Institute is a career
college that offers technical training and
2-year degree programs in a number
of fields, including design, healthcare,
hospitality, HVAC, information technology,
electronics, trades technology and more.
Visit www.pti.edu.

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Author:
www.pti.edu/aaca/
Author:
John Doe
Editor