There are numerous ways that a program can be built around this intensity, ways that can take place in the classroom and in the kitchen. Faculty members can build every assignment around short deadlines that require students to problem solve and stay on task. Projects can be introduced that force students to work collaboratively and instill the best use of time, space and team dynamics. Scenario planning can and should be part of every situation that students are placed in. “What if” should always be a component designed into student work. It will be those “what if” solutions that will allow students to thrive when they are in a kitchen.
Kitchen laboratory classes need to be designed to emulate realistic environments and cooking lessons should always include tight deadlines, the need for collaboration, assessment of organization, grace under fire and speed. At the end of each lab students could be evaluated based on those expectations of the chefs they will eventually work for. We need to “teach” students about food, process and the ways to set the stage for that future position as a sous chef. We need to “train” students how to be effective, focused, competent cooks who can meet the demands of a busy kitchen. This is the portal to those future management positions and cannot be underplayed.
In the end, it will be the addition of well-organized and supervised internships and externships that will bring everything together. Have you viewed your curriculum, facilities and staff in relation to these parameters? If not, it may be time to do so. Those programs with a reputation for building “kitchen ready” graduates are the ones that will attract the best entering students, the most supportive internships, the most enthusiastic recruiters, and the industry support that will allow them to thrive in a highly competitive education market.
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., www.harvestamericaventures.com.