Apprenticeship vs. school

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I recently posted a question about cullinary schools (Suggestions on Cullinary Schools) and now I have another question. What do you think would be a better place to get started on a career, a good apprenticeship program or a good cullinary school? Any help on this question, or my other posting (still no responses) would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

By Carltonb (Carltonb) on Thursday, September 02, 1999 - 10:00 am: Edit

I did both. I first did my apprnt. It taught me the how to's but not the whys. I would ask the chef why we did this or that, and he would say because I have done it for the last 30 years this way and this is how it is done.

I then went to school to learn the whys. Culinary taught me the whys and a few more how to's. I think it was a great combination.

Carlton Brooks, CEPC, CCE

By Equis (Equis) on Tuesday, October 05, 1999 - 05:54 am: Edit

I am a young cook, but that doesnīt mean I donīt have a point of view.Why do you wanna go to cooking school? So you can work at Napa in Vegas?

Gimme a break! Like thatīs gonna happen! Earning a certificate so you can get into the best restaurants? 20 grand itīs a lot of money, is it not?

Are you searious about this career, are you realy commited. Then, what you wanna do is work. Work a lot. Work in the best kitchens you can. Work with the best Chefs you can. Even if that means takin a step back in your career. It will pay back.

I did choose apprentiship over college.Learn by doing my friend. Get two jobs, one full time, an other one part time. Learn by doing.

TAKE THE STAIRS, NOT THE ELEVATOR.}
Cook, be happy.

manuel_quezada@hotmail.com.

By Equis (Equis) on Tuesday, October 05, 1999 - 05:54 am: Edit

I am a young cook, but that doesnīt mean I donīt have a point of view.Why do you wanna go to cooking school? So you can work at Napa in Vegas?

Gimme a break! Like thatīs gonna happen! Earning a certificate so you can get into the best restaurants? 20 grand itīs a lot of money, is it not?

Are you searious about this career, are you realy commited. Then, what you wanna do is work. Work a lot. Work in the best kitchens you can. Work with the best Chefs you can. Even if that means takin a step back in your career. It will pay back.

I did choose apprentiship over college.Learn by doing my friend. Get two jobs, one full time, an other one part time. Learn by doing.

TAKE THE STAIRS, NOT THE ELEVATOR.}
Cook, be happy.

manuel_quezada@hotmail.com.

By Kevin (Kevin) on Tuesday, October 05, 1999 - 07:18 pm: Edit

I agree with you a friend of mine he already spent over a grand on schooling and didnt learn anything.

By George (George) on Wednesday, October 06, 1999 - 07:26 am: Edit

Hmmm, does that say something about your friend or about the program?

By Dpconsu (Dpconsu) on Tuesday, May 23, 2000 - 06:13 am: Edit

Heres some advice from an "old school F*rt" I started at the age of fifteen with the old Conrad Hilton International, even though I was in England at the time,(I'm an Air Force Brat) I took the apptitude test and was accepted for the five year tenured apprenticeship program.

I went to the american school in Amsterdam five days per week, then did three evenings per week at the Amstelwein college of culinary arts for four years and worked three evening per week at the hotel, spending ninty days in each of the twelve sections of the brigade kitchen at the Amsterdam Hilton. I also worked full time during the school and college vacations. By the time I was 19 I had earned a Bacholars of science degree in culinary arts, finished what americans call high school and had real line experience. The final year was spent doing three seperate estagers as a chef du parte for 6 months then two more of three months all in different kitchens, one of which had to be "michelin rated" as a saucier and as the chef poissionaire.

I was paid abvout 25 guilder per month ($5.00)
I lived on the staff barge and was fed, had my uniforms, knives and books supplied and one full free day off per week for five years. I then had to sit for the "Chef de Cuisine diplome certification"

I was worked very hard, leart three launguages, I learnt every station of a full kitchen, came out of it all able to hold and do a sous chefs job in any kitchen with only three to four weeks of getting to know the existing menu at any given kitchen.

Then I went on to work on the "new Inns opening team" for CHIC (the luxery holiday Inns franchise that operated in Europe then) as a chef instructor for the chef du range's being trained for each new hotel.

Then I went to work as a chef tournant for the VIP and Rand agencies that are based in London, they sent me to four continents and 12 countries over a nine-year period. I was finally hired as an Executive chef after I had worked for ten years with my first kitchen being on a luxery chartering yacht "Le Belle Simon" in Antibes France.

I once sat down and estimated that my training had cost the Hilton group about $97,000.00 in todays money values.(which is why this program and others like it were stopped in the 80's.)too many guys like me would do the training and leave the company to go on elsewhere. (partly due to the fact that A) you couldnt learn more from the hotel and B) the group would only pay about 85% of the going rate for the same job if they did promote from within the ranks instead of hiring out to a new guy. That killed any loyalty on the part of the guys who had stuck with the program.

Would I do it again? hell no! I would have stayed at school in England and gone on to a good college there and become a Lawyer, or an artchitect or something else that paid better.

Personally I dont believe that todays working force of American youngsters would put up with the rigors of a program such as the one that I went through, even if it were still offered! the hotels and chefs would be getting sued constantly and the apprentices would split as soon as they got their certification.

All I can say is that after over ten years of working here in the states, I have seen many of our culinary schools grads come out of the school, thinking that the piece of paper made them a "chef" yet they were lost when 17 tickets are hanging and could not manage people, time or product. These things only come with years of actual work experience, preferably in many kitchens so as to learn more ways to do the things needed to learn as an executive chef.

So all in all I would say, do both! get the education to learn the foundations and chemistry of food and then go get the experience in as many good quality kitchens as you can for about 7 to 10 years.

Best of luck