Quote:
Originally Posted by moddestmike
Just curious as to if anyone has attended and complete a program from there. Is this a credible program and did you actually learn the creativity behind cooking or did you just follow recipes.
I know this should be in the education section but seeing as we all love food here I figure this might garner quicker and more truthful responses.
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I was in the food business for about fifteen years so take this for what it is worth.
The Art Institutes Culinary program is for-profit educational institution. The tuition and fees for a two year program (excluding room and board) is approximately $45,000.
Admissions: Tuition & Fees: Chicago
In general, most positions in the industry that you will get when you graduate are in the $13-15/ hour range and that is assuming that you are in a big city. In general, there is a good chance that you will be out of the industry in 5-10 years as the hours are long, the working conditions are generally unpleasant, and the benefits in the industry are not very good.
Personally, I found that once I could run a kitchen well, I could go into another industry and make at least twice as much and not be working weekends, holidays and the like.
The advice that I gave to my nephews and cousins who wanted to go into the business was pretty simple. First, go out and get jobs in the industry. I would recommend starting at McDonald's (yes, the one with the golden arches). There are two things that McDonald's does well. They teach you how to clean and the discipline it takes to get through a dinner rush.
Then after you learn those skills, work at a country club or a fine dining establishment starting at the bottom. If you are good, you will NOT be in the low position for more than a few months. If you are not good, you will probably find out that well, there are better ways of making money.
After you have a couple of years experience, look at culinary school. I see two career paths. The one I followed was to get a bachelor's degree and work for one of the best hospitality companies in the US. Benefits and pay were decent and the hours were long. They paid for a lot of training and provided a lot of opportunities, especially in management.
If you want a life in the kitchen, either 1) go to a community college with a great culinary program where you can get a two year degree for $15k or 2) head to Europe and seek out fine chefs to work for or 3) join the military where you will receive training for free. All three paths will provide you a lot of opportunities without putting you into enormous debt.
That is my short answer.
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