Thursday, August 14, 2008

Top Trends for Culinary Arts Students

Career Center - by Carie Bishop

If you’re considering taking culinary training or are already enrolled in an online degree program, you’ll have excellent job prospects when you graduate. The Department of Labor predicts that 351,000 new jobs will be added to the culinary field during the 2006-2016 decade. That’s an 11 percent raise in total opportunities across the country. If you’re just entering the professions and plan on working while you study, food preparation employees will find faster than average job growth.

Trends in the profession are always shifting. Here are some revealing statistics from a recent culinary arts study by Star Chefs:

Total percentage of working chefs that attended culinary school: 74 percent.
Total percentage of working chefs that recommended culinary school training: 87 percent.
Total percentage of restaurants that have a pastry chef: 41 percent.
Total percentage of restaurants that have a wine program: 69 percent.
Total percentage of chefs that hope to own their own restaurant some day: 27 percent.
Total average entrée prices between $16 and $33: 65 percent.

Want to view more trends? Here are some revealing figures rounded up in 2008 survey conducted by The International Culinary Schools at The Art Institutes:

Percentage of current culinary arts students who believe “environmental responsibility” will play a role in their developing careers: 97 percent.
Percentage of current culinary arts students who plan on incorporating organic foods into their repertoire: 55 percent.
Percentage of culinary students who believe receiving some training abroad will positively influence their careers: 52 percent.
Percentage of students who believe that South American or Spanish cuisine will influence their menus: 40 percent.
Number of surveyed students who would consider experimenting in fusion cuisine: 80 percent.
Percentage of students interested in incorporating Italian cooking in their repertoire: 68 percent.