A career in culinary arts can lead to many opportunities – chef, restaurant manager, pastry chef, research chef, food scientist, etc.
Students in the Hazelwood School District who are interested in studying culinary arts can get an early start through its Culinary Arts Career Pathway, a career and technical education program.
The HSD Board of Education approved revisions to the culinary arts program to align with the ProStart curriculum developed by the National Restaurant Association. The classes are open to juniors and seniors. Students must take a prerequisite course before advancing to Culinary Arts 1 or Culinary Arts 2.
Culinary Arts 1 teaches knowledge and skills to develop a healthy eating lifestyle, food preparation, food safety, sanitation, serving meals and more. Students who enroll in Foundations of Restaurant Management and Culinary Arts 1 take an assessment exam at the end of the course. Those who pass the exam receive a certificate of recognition from the association.
Culinary Arts 2 is now a year-long course. Students learn competencies and skills required by the food and restaurant industry to prepare for an entry-level position or to begin a post-secondary culinary arts program. The class gives students a chance to learn social and professional components of culinary arts, including food safety, sanitation, cooking and industry career opportunities.
The District has an approved program of study with the culinary program at St. Louis Community College-Forest Park. Students who complete the Culinary Arts Career Pathway can take an assessment to earn college credit for their high school work.
According to the National Restaurant Association’s website, the restaurant industry generates $632 billion in annual sales, and more than 130 million people are served each day in restaurants. The industry is the second largest private-sector employer in the United States. There are 12.9 million people who work in the industry, about 9 percent of the nation’s jobs.
The site’s Top Ten Facts in 2012 notes that in the next 10 years, 1.4 million positions will be added to the restaurant industry.