THE APPRENTICESHIP PATH TO CERTIFICATION
BY TINA POWERS, CEC®, CEPC®, CCE®, CMB
As a culinary school graduate, I landed
my first position as a cook at a small,
family-owned restaurant. Was I a
qualified chef? Well after a few months
of working the line and having my head
handed to me daily, I figured it out.
After several years in various kitchens
and with the support of many mentors,
I was finally confident enough to accept
the challenge and pursue the Certified
Executive Chef® certification.
Many chefs take the traditional school-to-chef route; others may have financial,
military or family obligations that
influence their path. No matter what your
route or circumstances, apprenticeship
is an excellent way to gain a quality
education with hands-on experience.
The ACFEF Apprenticeship Program
recently went through a major overhaul,
thanks to a grant from the U.S.
Department of Labor. The competency-based standards were strengthened to
ensure that each requirement met the
standards of excellence and was relevant
in the industry today.
PHOTO CREDIT: J. Russell Bradshaw
APPRENTICESHIP MODELS
The apprenticeship program at Johnson
County Community College in Overland
Park, Kan., follows the educational
model that allows apprentices to take
the required courses at the school and
get hands-on training at one of the local
sponsoring houses, be it a hotel, resort,
restaurant or club. All apprenticeship
models require 445 hours of instruction,
whether offered in the classroom at a
postsecondary institution, online, or
through a chapter or company. In addition
to the educational model, there is: the
chapter model (e.g., ACF Southern
California Inland Empire Chefs & Cooks
Association); the corporate model (e.g.,
Sun Mountain Lodge, Winthrop, Wash.);
and the major employer model (e.g.,
Yellowstone National Park’s 6,000-hour-
long version).
At the end of the program, an apprentice
can receive the Certified Culinarian®
(CC®) or Certified Pastry Culinarian®
(CPC®) certification, or earn the more
challenging Certified Sous Chef™
(CSC™) or Certified Working Pastry
Chef® (CWPC®) certification with the
successful completion of a written and
practical exam.
PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE ADVANTAGE
Dawn Gray is a great inspiration and
an example of a committed apprentice.
She is a 41-year-old single mother who
started at the dish station and, after a few
years, worked her way into the kitchen
at Sun Mountain Lodge. Gray was
determined to advance her career, and let
it be known that she wanted to be more
than a cook. J. Russell Bradshaw, CEC®,
CCA®, was overseeing the corporate
apprenticeship program at the resort and
took her on as one of his apprentices.
Bradshaw is a strong advocate for
apprenticeship and also works with
externs, usually staffing a minimum of five
externs and two apprentices each year.
“I have observed that some students
coming directly from culinary programs
have little practical experience and face a
steep kitchen learning curve,” Bradshaw
says. “Many have the book skills, but
ABOVE: Dawn Gray is a second-year apprentice at Sun
Mountain Lodge, Winthrop, Wash.
are raw in the kitchen and do not fully
comprehend the speed at which most
kitchens function. When apprentices
finish and become ACF-certified,
they have the advantage of practical
experience, making them that much more
valuable—hands down.”
“Working as an apprentice has been a
wonderful learning experience,” says
Gray, now in her second year of the
program. “The apprenticeship program
has opened up huge doors for me, and it is
a significant step in achieving my goals.”
At the completion of her apprenticeship,
Gray will test for the Certified Sous
Chef™ certification.
An ACFEF Apprenticeship Program is an
excellent way to help mold culinarians into
future certified chefs. Find out how you can
start an apprenticeship program in your area
at www.acfchefs.org/Apprenticeship.
TINA PO WERS CEC®, CEPC®, CCE®, CMB, IS A BAKING/
PAS TRY COORDINATOR A T OREGON COAS T CULINARY INS TITU TE,
COOS BA Y, ORE., AND AN ACFEF APPREN TICESHIP EVALUA TOR.
