Restaurant Food Preparer Training and Jobs
Schools and Degrees
Many school districts, in cooperation with State departments of education, provide on-the-job training and summer workshops for cafeteria kitchen workers who want to become chefs. Food service management companies or hotel and restaurant chains also offer paid internships and summer jobs to those starting out in the field.
The American Culinary Federation accredits more than 200 formal academic training programs and sponsors apprenticeship programs around the country. Typical apprenticeships last 2 years and combine classroom training and work experience. Accreditation is an indication that a culinary program meets recognized standards regarding course content, facilities, and quality of instruction.
Training and Education
Employees often find employers are looking for long-term on-the-job training. Restaurant food preparers, in 5% of cases, have bachelor's degree or higher. After high school, 19% of workers pursued some additional career education. Employees, in 77% of cases, had only a high school education.
Job Overview
Restaurant food preparers cook a wide selection of dishes, preparing most orders individually. They usually prepare, season and cook a wide range of regional and continental dishes. They are helped by food preparation workers who peel and cut vegetables, prepare poultry, trim meat, and perform other duties like keeping work areas clean and monitoring temperatures of ovens and stovetops. Restaurant food preparers determine serving sizes, plan menus, order food supplies and oversee kitchen operations to ensure uniform quality and good presentation of meals. The specific duties of restaurant food preparers are often determined by the restaurant in which they work.
Job Requirements
The American Culinary Federation certifies pastry professionals, personal chefs and culinary educators, in addition to various levels of chefs. Certification standards are based primarily on experience and formal training. Although certification is not required, it can help to prove accomplishment and lead to advancement and higher-paying positions.
Restaurant food preparers should be efficient, quick and work well in a team. They should have creativity and an intense sense of taste and smell. Personal cleanliness is essential because most states require health certificates indicating that workers are free from communicable diseases.
Nature of Work
Restaurant food preparers work in diverse environments depending on the type and quantity of food prepared and also on the local laws governing food service operations. Restaurant kitchens usually have modern equipment, air conditioning and convenient work areas.
Area Job Conditions
Restaurant food preparers -of-a-feather seem to flock to Palm Coast (Florida), Myrtle Beach (South Carolina), and Bay City (Michigan). They are less likely to be found around Dalton (Georgia), Idaho Falls (Idaho), and Trenton (New Jersey).
Compensation of workers is best in Bridgeport (Connecticut), Las Vegas (Nevada), and New Haven (Connecticut), and much worse in Longview (Texas), Great Falls (Montana), and Albany (Georgia).
Part-Time and Self Employment
Restaurant food preparers employed part-time are 30% of the total. Workers, in about 1% of cases, work for themselves.
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