College Division
The Culinary Education Center’s multi-level approach answers the training needs of entry-level foodservice employees, but also of experienced chefs who wish to expand their professional development. Students may choose to pursue an Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree in Culinary Arts to prepare for employment in hotels, restaurants, commercial, and institutional kitchens. Courses run in five, three-week blocks each term, Monday through Thursday. The degree program is designed to be completed in four terms (two academic years) with a goal-orientated externship experience in a food-related business after the second term. The degree consists of 50.5 career-related credits, 20 general education credits totaling 70.5 credits. Enrollment reached over 125 students at the college division.
High School Division
Dual Enrollment
The high school curriculum is designed to provide entry-level workforce skills and while attending their home school and the Culinary Education Center our students are also have duel enrollment status with Brookdale Community College. Our students may choose from an extensive variety of courses of study (15.5 credits college credits). This will provide a seamless transition into the Brookdale Community College Culinary Program here at the Culinary Education Center. Our students can continue in the Culinary Arts Associate Degree program the fall semester following graduation. During the high school year the Sheraton Hotel, Eatontown and the Seabrook Village, Tinton Falls housed two Culinary Education Center culinary arts classrooms providing yearlong externship experiences for over 60 secondary students.
Work-Based Experiences
Bringing the culinary student into the workplace is a goal of the Culinary Education Center. Externships permit the student to work for an employer in a culinary related position for a specified period of time to learn about the food-service industry, and to further define and clarify their professional career goals. Educational collaboration with Pacific Concord Management-Sheraton Hotels, and Seabrook Village resulted in the establishment of a unique and exemplary work based Culinary Training Program. The goal of this initiative was to unite occupational training instructors and mentors to co-teach at a work-based training site for the development of high academic and workplace technical training skills for culinary students.
Objectives:
- Develop a variety of work based learning experiences to assist students in evaluating hospitality skills and interests.
- Implement simulated and/or application activities using academic skills to solve daily problems found in the world of work. Academic and occupational instructors are infused into both school and the hotel work-site to teach culinary, academic and Tech-Prep courses directly relates to the food service industry.
- Practice and reinforce workplace readiness skills needed for successful employment. Occupational simulations encourage learners to make decisions and identify solutions to real life, on-the- job problems. Life-long learning, teamwork, cooperation, and essential skills for living/working promote the development of workplace readiness skills while reinforcing applied, integrated academics.