Training for Food Service Jobs

Find the right school or training for food service careers and employees
By Sherril Steele-Carlin, Freelance Writer Some food service jobs are the kind where your staff can learn on the job, but for most food service careers, training is a necessity for the best staff. Most people know of the prestigious culinary schools that turn out chefs and pastry chefs with masterful skills, but other food service job training is available in a wide array of career choices.

When choosing a school for preparing your staff for a career in the food service industry, choose a school that's well rated, accredited and has a good reputation. Make sure they specialize in restaurant or hospitality employment or management. Things to look for in a school include:

1. Seek an accredited school that offers degree or certificate programs and training for foodservice jobs.

2. Look for a culinary school that includes real-time restaurant experience and uses trained chefs as instructors.

3. Think outside the box for training in the restaurant industry, such as bartending, catering or personal chef when considering food service careers.

Find your dream job in the restaurant industry by choosing a well-respected school

Some of the biggest names in food service careers are the culinary schools that turn out some of the world's greatest chefs. Some of the best schools have impeccable reputations that can lead to the graduate's pick of the top foodservice jobs. These schools may cost a little more, but they have very high standards for instruction, and that will lead to better training and more rewards in the long run.
Try:  One of the most respected and desirable culinary programs in the world is Le Cordon Bleu, a prestigious school that offers restaurant management, culinary arts and pastry and chef classes for degrees and certificates. Another highly respected school is the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE), which offers degrees and certificate programs in schools throughout the U.S.

Choose a school that uses professionals to ensure success in food service careers

When you look for restaurant and food service employment training, you'll want to study with the best. Choose a school that offers curriculum developed by master chefs and taught by professionals. If you can't train for food service employment during the day, seek out schools that offer nighttime classes.
Try:  Some of the best schools for restaurant and foodservice employment are flexible, so staff can attend day or evening classes developed by professionals, like The French Culinary Institute. They use professional, respected chefs as instructors and some of the best-known chefs in the industry, like Jacques Pépin, Alain Sailhac, André Soltner and Jacques Torres, develop their curriculum. The Art Institute of Pittsburgh offers schools across the country with a well-developed program in culinary and hotel management, with management courses online as well.

Think non-traditional types of food service employment and foodservice jobs training

There's more to a career in food service than waitress employment and bus boy employment. If you want to get the most qualified staff possible, look for bartender training or other non-traditional training. Offering a training course from a national or local association adds to your restaurant's credibility and experience, which helps bring in a wider clientele.
Try:  The Professional Bartending School offers online and interactive courses, complete with an accredited certificate, for fledgling bartenders. The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation offers classes and testing across the nation for food safety and responsible alcohol service. Taking a class can help add to your staff's experience and sales ability as a server, bartender or caterer.

• When thinking about training for food service jobs, remember many restaurants offer on-the-job training, and some may even offer apprenticeship programs in certain areas of the kitchen and restaurant. Keep this in mind when looking for a job, many big-name chefs got their start in the food service industry this way.