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Written by Christine St. Pierre
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Thursday, 07 February 2008 11:39 |
Introducing high school students to the restaurant industry can be beneficial to everyone.
For 475 students in 24 high schools from Pittsfield to Nantucket, the opportunity to see what the restaurant industry is really about before they graduate may be just the inspiration they need to start their careers in this field. As part of the ProStart School-to-Career Program through the Massachusetts Restaurant Association, students who are at least 16 years old are introduced to the industry through classroom lessons and on-site internships in restaurants throughout the state.
The program is a partnership between the Massachusetts Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation and in cooperation with the Mass. Department of Education and regional School-to-Career program.
But this is not a typical vocational class, where students only learn culinary skills. This two-year program includes classroom lessons covering customer relations, preparing and serving safe food, kitchen basics, nutrition, business math, controlling foodservice costs, marketing and the menu, purchasing and inventory control, the art of service, standard accounting practices, breakfast foods and sandwiches, salads and garnishes, desserts and baked goods. Students also interview with restaurants for a paid internship where they must complete 400 working hours to receive a national certificate. But they’re not just sweeping floors. As “mentors,” restaurant owners, chefs and managers work with the students to show them all aspects of running a restaurant. “The students are prepping with the chef, working with the hostess, bussing and washing dishes,” explained Heather Carneiro, education coordinator for the Mass. Restaurant Association. “They’re constantly working with the students, guiding them and at the end of each week, they go over everything the student has learned.”
For schools that offer ProStart, the program is opened to juniors and seniors that have taken a pre-requisite class such as nutrition or an intro to food. They must maintain a grade of C or above and must take an exam at the end of each year for their national certificate. This certificate can be used for college credits, usually up to six credits, depending on the institution. The MRA also offers scholarships to these students and awarded $75,000 in scholarships last year.
The MRA is always looking for more mentors, and Carneiro noted that mailings are sent out to members, though non-members are also encouraged to become mentors. She works with mentors to explain exactly what students are looking for and to make sure their time together is well spent. She commented who the program works for students who are college bound and those that want to work immediately in the restaurant field. “ProStart offers students choices to prepare for the work force by giving them a great overview of what the industry has to offer, for both the culinary and business sides,” she stated.
If you don’t have the time to donate to work with these students, Carneiro also noted that restaurants can donate their used equipment to the schools or provide food donations for the classroom lessons. “Mentors bring real-life experience,” she added. “But other volunteer opportunities include assisting classroom teachers, cooking demonstrations or offering their site for class tours so students can see the different perspectives of a restaurant.”
This program could be a launching pad for the chefs and restaurateurs of the future. And for those restaurant owners or chefs thinking of becoming a mentor for the ProStart program, just think, 10 years from now when a great chef is interviewed and asked who his or her inspiration was, it could be you! ?
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 09 February 2008 15:46 )
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