October 31, 2007 - 9:38am
Thinking about a career as a chef?
With a growing shortage of professionally trained chefs throughout Canada and around the world, Malaspina University-College is expanding its renowned Culinary Arts program. Malaspina offers a one-year certificate program, but starting October 2008, a second year of study will be added for students who want a diploma.
"This is great news for students like me," said Culinary Arts student Evan Morgan. "With additional training in the second year, I'll be better equipped to move up the career ladder."
Debbie Shore, Chair of Culinary Arts, said the introduction of the two-year diploma program coincides with the official launch of Malaspina’s new Culinary Institute of Vancouver Island (CIVI), a new umbrella organization that houses all of Malaspina’s culinary, professional baking and food related apprenticeship training programs.
“The CIVI is committed to providing high quality training to students and meeting the needs of industry," she said. "The demand for our graduates has never been higher, especially as the 2010 Olympics draws near."
According to Shore, second year Culinary Arts students will receive advanced dining room experience, advanced pastry training and a solid understanding of basic management skills in the restaurant and hospitality industry. They will also benefit from two paid co-operative education placements during the summer months.
Malaspina will sign up first and second year students as apprentices so that they can log apprentice hours through part-time jobs or during co-op placements.
Shore said students in the program already get daily hands-on experience working in Malaspina’s $1.5-million professional teaching kitchen at the Nanaimo campus, preparing meals for two busy cafeterias and the Discovery Room Fine Dining restaurant.
“I’ve seen a lot of Culinary Arts schools across the country and the fact that Malaspina students prepare food that is consumed by the public on site is terrific experience," said Canada Food Network Chef, David Adjey, who visited Malaspina’s Culinary Arts department recently. “It makes their training real."
Shore said Culinary Arts students routinely assist with large catering events in the community, including the Festival of Trees, Seniors Games and Bite of Nanaimo. They are also encouraged to enter competitions including the BC Junior Chefs Hot competition in Vancouver, or the Culinary Salon /Cold Show, and numerous in-house mini competitions to hone their skills and gain experience working under pressure.
“CIVI faculty are very well connected with industry and are committed to helping students become successful professionals in industry," Shore said. "One way of doing that is through competitions."
Malaspina chefs have participated on Team Canada in the Culinary Olympics; represented Canada on Bake Team Canada in Paris March 2008; are integral founding members of the Island Chefs Collaborative; are members of the Island Chapter of the Baking Association of Canada; and hold memberships in the Canadian Culinary Federation. Two pastry chefs assist with extra curricular training in sugar-work and chocolate work, and have won major competitions.
Malaspina’s Culinary Arts program began in 1969, as part of the local need to train cooks for the burgeoning restaurant industry. It evolved significantly as highly qualified European-trained chefs joined the team, including Chefs Hubert Scheck, George Wagner and Alex Rennie, all now retired.
Since then, three new generations of Chef instructors have mentored students to compete internationally and participate in competitions from coast to coast.
Malaspina’s kitchens have graduated over 2,000 Culinary Arts students and 300 professional baking students. "Many of the world’s top hotels employ our graduates at all levels, from apprentice to Corporate Food and Beverage Director, for Hilton International," Shore added.
The next CIVI Culinary Arts program start dates are January 14, 2008 and August 11, 2008 for first-year students. Contact Shore at 740-6137 or shored@viu.ca.
Students who have completed one-year of Culinary Arts training at other BC or Canadian institutions are welcome to apply, as long as they meet Malaspina’s entrance requirements.
Tags: In the Community
