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Students have the advantage of using the college's modern kitchen facilities in several courses. Practical classroom theory with hands-on experience provides for well- rounded training in the restaurant and hotel management field. This certificate program requires fewer credit hours to complete than an Associate degree. Courses taken in this certificate program may be applied to Moraine Valley's Restaurant/Hotel Management or Culinary Arts Associate in Applied Science degree program without loss of credit. Recent high school graduates may be eligible for college credit for selected CTE Dual Credit courses completed in high school. (See CTE Dual Credit Program information in catalog). This program is intended to lead to employment. Students considering transferring to a four-year college or university to obtain a bachelor's degree using the courses from this program should make an appointment with an academic advisor to review options. Nature of Work—Chefs, cooks, and food preparation workers prepare, season, and cook a wide range of foods from soups, snacks, and salads to entrees, side dishes, and desserts in a variety of restaurants and other food services establishments. Chefs and cooks create recipes and prepare meals, while food preparation workers peel and cut vegetables, trim meat, prepare poultry, and perform other duties such as keeping work areas clean and monitoring temperatures of ovens and stovetops. Related Job Titles—Assistant restaurant manager, assistant hotel manager, front desk supervisor, and food preparation worker Employment Outlook—Job openings for chefs, head cooks, and food preparation and serving supervisors are expected to be good through 2018; however, competition should be keen for jobs at the more upscale restaurants that tend to pay more. Employment of chefs, head cooks, and food preparation and serving supervisors is expected to increase by 6 percent over the 2008-18 decade, which is more slowly than the average of all occupations. Projected employment growth, however, varies by specialty. The number of higher-skilled chefs and cooks working in full-service restaurants those that offer table service and more varied menus is expected to increase about as fast as the average. Much of the increase in this segment, however, will come from job growth in more casual dining, rather than up-scale full-service restaurants. Similarly, employment of food preparation workers will grow faster than the average reflecting diners desires for convenience as they shop for carryout meals in a greater variety of places full-service restaurants, limited-service eating places, or grocery stores. Wages of chefs, cooks, and food preparation workers vary greatly according to region of the country and the type of food services establishment in which they work. Wages usually are highest in elegant restaurants and hotels, where many executive chefs are employed, and in major metropolitan areas.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports median
annual earnings of chefs and head cooks were $38,770 in May 2008. The middle 50
percent earned between $29,050 and $51,540. The lowest 10 percent earned less
than $22,120, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $66,680. Median annual
earnings in the industries employing the largest number of chefs and head cooks
in May 2008 were:
In some large hotels and restaurants, kitchen
workers belong to unions. The principal unions are the Hotel Employees and
Restaurant Employees International Union and the Service Employees International
Union. For job and internship listings and job search assistance, contact the Job Resource Center in the Student Services Center, S202, (708) 974-5737, www.morainevalley.edu/jrc. |
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Moraine Valley
Community College's Restaurant/Hotel Management Certificate Program prepares
students for entry-level positions in the hospitality industry.
