By Paul Sorgule, MS, AAC 

At some level, there is always a tendency to build a curriculum with an emphasis on those topics and skill sets that we (administrators and faculty) have an interest in, or simply believe to be important. After all, we are somewhat constrained by the demands of accrediting agencies and State Education Department requirements, so filling in the gaps with content that peaks our interest seems to be only fair. This is not dissimilar to the process that a chef entertains when creating a restaurant menu – putting his or her signature on a menu seems appropriate. The question is – what should we be doing, as educators, when faced with the opportunity to build curriculum content?

The first challenge is to define our mission. Is our mission to prepare students for the needs of the industry or is it to try and move that same industry in a new direction? Allow me to paint a picture based on reality - on definitive needs that have been expressed by chefs and restaurateurs. This picture may help you decide on an appropriate direction for your program.

According to the National Restaurant Association, there are currently 1 million freestanding restaurants in the United States (give or take). This same industry generates more than $780 billion in sales through the efforts of 14 million employees. In other words, restaurants are an important part of our economy and represent a major part of the U.S. workforce. With anticipated continued growth, the restaurant business is in dire need of properly trained, enthusiastic, talented, service-oriented employees.

From my way of thinking, one of our primary responsibilities is to determine what skills, aptitudes, and attitudes are essential of any career professional moving through a degree program. This would, if correct, require culinary and hospitality program designers to research and respond to these needs as a curriculum is built. At the same time, there is no question that colleges have a responsibility to think beyond today and prepare students to become change makers in an ever-evolving, dynamic industry. As much as we are responsible for preparing students to be successful, we (educators) have a responsibility to help prepare the industry to remain viable for generations to come.

There are two distinct areas that need our attention in this regard. The first is to work with agencies from regional to programmatic accreditors in an effort to constantly update skill requirements that reflect what is needed. If we are encumbered by antiquated skill or course requirements that have little bearing on the industry we serve, then there will be less opportunity for successful preparation of our graduates. The second is to separate the trendy or less critical skills from those that chefs and restaurateurs deem essential. This process cannot be taken lightly and requires educational leaders to not only research, but also take an active role in the debate over what should be deemed essential. 

In terms of those skill sets defined as essential by accrediting agencies, active input from the educational community, operational chefs, restaurateurs, and professional organizations that represent the industry, is critical. It may very well be our role to facilitate this level of communication and drive the necessary change. A few examples can be drawn from the last few years of research conducted by the National Restaurant Association and the American Culinary Federation.

In the process of determining current and future trends in restaurants, these studies have pointed to the following drivers: Of the more than 1,000 chefs and restaurateurs surveyed, 41 percent stated that environmental sustainability will be the most important trend for at least the next 10 years; 21 percent felt strongly that local sourcing would remain critical to chefs and customers as it has for the past 10 years; 14 percent pointed to more nutritious food and preparations; and 14 percent felt that increased diversity of ethnic cuisines and flavors would remain at the top of the trend list. For a restaurant or culinary program to ignore this data would certainly fall under the heading of “missed opportunity.”

Additionally, there continues to be a strong movement towards artisanal preparations and in-house process rather than relying on many of those convenience items that have inundated the restaurant business for decades. Preparing artisan breads, in-house butchery and charcuterie, cheese making and the like are quickly becoming signature processes in even the smallest restaurants.

It is important for culinary program leadership to be able to separate the interesting from the critical and determine how much time to dedicate to processes, trends, and forward thinking methodologies. As an example, entering students are often excited about creative processes such as molecular gastronomy. These innovative methods have been idolized by the media and as a result have stimulated the interest of young culinarians. It would not be wise for educators to ignore this, but at the same time, we must realize that these processes would not likely fall under the heading of essential. To this end, a curriculum might view this as elective material or relegated to guest chef demonstrations, competition teamwork, or even a more dynamic way to bring the concepts of food science into the classroom, etc. Keep in mind that of the 1 million restaurants in the U.S., less that 1/10 of a percent are currently applying these methods to menu preparations and when they are used, the resulting menu items typically fall into a very high price point bracket due to the dedicated labor required.

Other skills that chefs expect of our graduates and ones that must be integrated into any curriculum design are less to do with cooking and more focused on work habits and attitude – these include:

• Confidence in ability
• Great mise en place skills
• Fast and efficient work habits
• Great time management
• Ability to work as a team
• An understanding the need for urgency

Our role is to prepare students for the needs of industry by setting them on a course for career success while aligning ourselves to servicing our industry more than attempting to direct it. It will become increasingly important for educational leadership to perform due diligence through proper research and building strong lines of communication with those in the industry who will continue to hire our graduates. 

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER 

Paul Sorgule, MS, AAC, president of Harvest America Ventures, a mobile restaurant incubator based in Saranac Lake, N.Y., is the former vice president of New England Culinary Institute and a former dean at Paul Smith’s College. Contact him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..