From street vendors to white-table cloth restaurants, America has over 11 million people working in the food service industry representing one of the largest employment segments in the country. People are drawn to this industry because of the job availability, advancement opportunities, and creative environment, thus making it one of the largest employment segments in the country.
In Upstate New York, the hospitality and food service industry is one of the largest employers. There are nearly 12,000 people employed in the Food and Beverage Service occupations in the North Country alone. Employment growth is expected to increase.
The Culinary Arts Program is divided into two separate areas of study. First year students enrolled at both technical centers are exposed, but not limited, to the following topics:
- Professional Image
- Kitchen Math
- Sanitation
- Safety
- Hand Tools and Equipment
- Workplace Skills
- Raw Ingredients
- Soups, Stocks, Sauces
- Cooking Methods
- Pantry
- Breakfast Preparation
- Dining Room Service
Second year students have the opportunity to master skills in:
- Baking Ingredient Identification
- Quick Breads
- Yeast Breads
- Cookies
- Pies
- Cake Preparation
- Cake Decorating
- Pastries
- Kitchen Desserts
- Menu Design and Development
- Human Relations Skills
- Nutrition
Students are in class approximately 2 ¼ hours each day, Monday through Friday.
Mondays are designated as instructional days. They are reserved for lectures, speakers, demonstrations, tests, and cooking practice. Tuesdays through Fridays are designated as production days that focus on experience in the kitchen. Kitchen production is planned to reinforce learning that has been introduced during the instructional period. Food products are used for lunch service, continental breakfast cart service, bakery, full service breakfast and other catering services on these days. This provides students with the opportunity to practice techniques, as well as giving students an opportunity to develop presentation and customer service skills.
The program serves multiple functions by providing a variety of catering services to visitors touring or participating in meetings at the centers. In this respect, it is a strong component of the organization’s public relations initiatives and it exemplifies the high quality Career and Technical Education available at the Jefferson-Lewis BOCES. Moreover, these experiences provide students a realistic training opportunity that reinforces classroom-acquired skills and knowledge.
Articulation Agreements with JCC, Johnson & Wales, Connecticut Culinary Institute and Pittsburgh Art Institute (Culinary Arts Program) have been established. These agreements give students college credits for work done during their learning experience at the Charles H. Bohlen Technical Center. Credit is given to those who earn it based on the college's individual agreements.
