More than 50 high school students in Kansas are getting an early head start in their culinary careers as they finish the year-long program this spring and prepare to join the culinary industry. The cooking program at Louisburg High School in Kansas was conceived as an experiment to fulfill a vocational requirement for classes, but with a good response from students, the school has been looking for ways to further improve the program, the Louisburg Herald reported. Mary Bradbury, who directed the program, told the news provider that students in the culinary arts program can leave with up to nine hours of college credits and a ServSafe certification, which tells employers that the applicant is experienced with food safety. "Out of the 55 who enrolled this year, a big portion will use the information to get through college or supplement an income. They’ll be more prepared," Bradbury said. With more students seeing the benefits of the program, Bradbury said that next batch of students will have workshops on career development, resume writing and mock interviews focusing on careers in the food industry. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs for chefs, head cooks and food preparation and serving supervisors will expand by 6 percent over the next decade. An overwhelming 88% of the 950,000 jobs in this sector are held by food preparation and serving staff and supervisors. The other 12% are occupied by head cooks and chefs, the bureau added.  |