Posted by Gerard on July 18, 1998 at 19:51:45:
In Reply to: I am not o sure that I agree! posted by Matty on July 18, 1998 at 03:02:45:
You've talked with restaurant owners Matt?
What about Chefs?
I've had the fortune to work with some of the very best ,none were certififed.
And...who certifies the certifiers? Anwer..US Gvmnt. Somehow I'm not impressed.
Along the same lines... Marriot Corp announced 2 months ago they intend to hire only certified chefs in future. Impressed yet?
In the end it depends what level of excellence you aspire to.
Students come out of school incapable of much but knowing a lot.
ACF is happy the US gvmnt classifies Chefin as a Profession, thats nice but in reality its a trade.
If you worked in kitchens which don't require the hands of a skilled tradesman you wouldn't notice.
I don't hire grads because they have never paid their dues, they pay tuition but thats not acceptable.
To learn from a master you gots to pay yer dues.
Masters who teach in schools can only impart knowledge, not skill.
Its only my observation but I think schooling better prepares students to be teachers than skilled tradesmen.
A bit of school is OK, certification is a hoax and theres no substitution for long term training in an apprenticeship.
Allow 5-7 yrs training and another 10 to really get rounded out.
I could go and get certified tomorrow, for what?
Cheers, Gerard.