How Parents Can Choose The Right Culinary Institute
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“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime” – Chinese Proverb
For someone who wants to become a professional chef, the world of culinary arts and pastry sciences can seem like an ocean when it comes to deciding where to start your formal training & what it really takes to become a chef.
The Current Scenario in the Hospitality Industry
Becoming a qualified & professionally trained Chef is, without a doubt, one of the most rewarding career choices and certainly brings with it a host of opportunities to work in this ever evolving and growing industry. Whether it is working for hotels, resorts, cruise liners, or restaurants, the options are endless.
India’s hospitality sector is expected to add 9–10 million jobs between 2022 and 2033, according to the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC Sector Skill Gap Report).
Food & Beverage Production is one of the fastest growing professions globally, one of the first steps in anyone’s’ career starts from the moment they chose there preferred institute. Culinary institutions play an instrumental role in building the necessary framework for someone who is aspiring to becoming a chef.
In the current scenario, the demand for chefs outpaces the supply of qualified chefs
According to the National Restaurant Association (2023), 79% of restaurant operators report difficulty in recruiting skilled culinary professionals, highlighting the importance of structured, industry-aligned training (National Restaurant Association State of the Industry Report, 2023).
It is also essential to recognise that the hospitality industry is looking for more than people who can just cook.
Todays’ culinary aspirant needs to be able to demonstrate many more skills including – financial literacy, human resource management, kitchen & menu planning, resource management, leadership and much more.
Thus, the formal education offered at culinary institutes need to mirror what the industry is demanding; it is safe to say that when looking out for the right culinary institute one most look for the following attributes-
- Accreditations & Recognitions: The accreditations of an institute represent the values, and thought given by the founder & senior management to the chosen pedagogy and curriculum framework that is offered at the institute, this will also directly benefit the learners who chose to study at the institute as this will decide how well the students qualifications are globally & domestically recognised.
One should also take into consideration the awards & recognitions received by the institute & its’ alumni; as this is a testament of the institutes hard work, understanding of industry expectations and commitment resulting in awards which further increase the credibility of the institute. - Leadership, Faculty & legacy: In any setting, the founder, senior management and faculty of the institute set the expectations from the learning experience at the institute. Therefore; ensuring that the institute is led by & has the adequate experience to choose and lead the right team is integral and impacts the students overall learning and future placement opportunities or abilities to pursue his/her entrepreneurial journey.
Additionally, it is important to also note that the number of years of active service to training chefs by the institute.
This adds a great deal of benefit to the student as this will also reflect in industry connections, industry interface and experience in the science of training qualified chefs. - Infrastructure: In the pursuit of being industry ready and to gain a complete understanding of industry expectations; one must learn in an environment that truly mirrors what the industry offers and expects. Thus an institute that has the ability to offer training kitchens built with the same intent are always a preference one should consider.
In conclusion, for any aspirant choosing to become a chef & making the biggest decision of their career is certainly important but not difficult.
A culinary institute offering a balanced mix of globally recognised curricula, highly experienced leadership & faculty and an infrastructure that allows learners to get job-ready and industry-ready at the same time.
Views are personal
The author, Arjun Singh Datta, is Managing Director, IICA
