The Professional Culinary Institute

Wine, steak, diners, and dough -- it's all in a days work when you choose a career in the culinary industry. Of course, what you work with (barbeque sauce vs. frosting, and money vs. meat, for example) depends on what you specialize in during your time at culinary school and the programs they offer.

At the Professional Culinary Institute (PCI) in Campbell, California, students have the chance to choose between the culinary arts, baking and pastry arts, wine/certified sommelier, and hotel and restaurant management training. Founded less than five years ago, the culinary school boasts state-of-the-art equipment and small classes, as well as a growing reputation thanks, in part, to the Professional Culinary Institute students and graduates winning competitions hosted by -- and awards from -- the American Culinary Federation (ACF).

And unlike some other culinary schools, the Professional Culinary Institute has an experienced staff with more than a century of experience and training between them. The president Chef Richard Battista, for instance, is a Certified Executive Chef, Certified Executive Pastry Chef, and Certified Culinary Educator who trained in Italy and France. Chef Bo Friberg, meanwhile, is a certified Master Pastry Chef and Master Confectioner who attained his degree and culinary training from the Confectionery Association School of Sweden. Consider this but a sampling of the kind of well-trained professionals the Professional Culinary Institute will have teaching you the ropes.

Depending on which program you opt for, you'll find yourself with a class schedule that requires anywhere from weeks to a year of instruction. While the Certified Sommelier training program (or certified wine professional program) can be completed in 11 weeks on a full-time basis, it can also be taken on a part-time schedule requiring only eight more weeks of class time. Both the baking and culinary program can be completed in only eight months when you opt for a full-time schedule, ten months for a part-time schedule, and twelve months for a half-time schedule.

The training doesn't end there though, thanks to the Professional Culinary Institute's commitment to preparing students to work in the field, a 240-hour externship is required in order to complete either the pastry arts or culinary arts program. In addition to being paid, this externship nets students quality on-the-job instruction and training in a real-world environment. As a result, Professional Culinary Institute students are career-ready upon graduation, and more than prepared for the demands of working in a restaurant or pastry shop.

Worried about how the career world will look upon graduation? According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for chefs and assorted food preparation workers is expected to grow by about 11 percent through 2016. Because of the nature of the food industry, though, these jobs will be competitively sought, so the more culinary training, skills, and credentials you can show, the better.

Sound Off! Post Your Comments