A culinary arts program will debut in the Westbury School District this fall, opening up opportunities for students to gain food service careers right out of high school.
The Westbury School District approved the Educational Training Institute, Inc. to provide a culinary arts program to at least 20 Westbury students for a total cost of $170,000 ($8,500 per students) at a meeting on Thursday, July 14. Over the course of the school year, students will learn skills such as food prep, catering, restaurant operations, sanitation and more, fully equipping them for a job in the food industry.
“This is a true culinary arts training program,” said Harold Kaplan, vice president of the Educational Training Institute, Inc., adding it’s the same instruction students would receive if they went to a post-high school culinary program. “It’s taught by culinary professionals and there are support services in terms of placement and internships.”
A minimum of 20 juniors and seniors are expected to attend the program on Mondays through Thursdays from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Kaplan said about 40 to 45 students expressed interest in the program, but because of the rigor of the course, students will have to undergo three rounds of interviews to make sure they are fully committed and a right fit for the program.
“We want to make sure they are really serious about doing this,” Kaplan said, noting that they wanted students who would stick with the program the entire year and did not have conflicting after-school obligations. “It’s a wonderful opportunity the school district is giving them while they’re still in high school.”
Students will receive everything they need including books, uniforms, baking equipment and knife kits. The students will also do a 200-hour externship at nearby catering halls, hospitals and other facilities, as well as cater different school events where they can show off their newfound culinary chops.
“We provide them everything, so if they come, they’ll learn. If they learn, they’ll pass and then they’ll graduate from the program and be able to work,” Kaplan said.
After graduating from the hands-on program, students will be fully equipped to go into an entry level career in the culinary arts, such as sous chef, short-order cook and line cook. Program graduates are also entitled to lifetime job placement assistance.
“Whether they go onto work or onto college and need part time work, this is a great way to offset costs,” Kaplan said. “They can go into a variety of places—restaurants, hotels, any corporate dining facility—and be able to earn income.”
