Chef Kerri Crean, program director for Gwinnett Technical College’s culinary arts program, recently won the 2010 Educator of the Year Award from the American Culinary Federation’s Greater Atlanta chapter. The award came as a surprise; her cooking career didn’t. Crean knew she wanted to be a chef when she was 6.
"I had a children’s cookbook with recipes from around the world and made a Chinese dinner for my Dad’s birthday. My parents let me do everything except cut with sharp knives," she said.
Crean earned her culinary degree from Johnson & Wales University in South Carolina 20 years ago — when cooking schools were rare and the Food TV Network didn’t exist.
"There is so much more competition now. We’ve gone from being a domestic occupation in the ’70s to people thinking we’re celebrities. Being paid thousands of dollars for cooking one recipe on stage, like Paula Dean, is not reality for most people in the industry," she said.
Crean wants the 100 students enrolled in her associate degree, diploma or certificate of credit courses to understand the reality of the profession.
"This is a very difficult field. It’s physically and emotionally demanding," she said. "Unlike the TV shows, you have to clean up after yourself.
"For the first 10 years of my career, when I worked as a private chef, in catering and for restaurants, I never celebrated holidays with my family. You cook when everyone else has leisure time and wants to eat out."
Still, aside from having her daughter, Crean said that cooking for a living is the most rewarding thing she has ever done.
"I love the gratification of seeing the expression on someone’s face that tells you they’re enjoying something you made," she said. "If you’ve got that kind of passion for cooking, then this is a career path with opportunities. After all, everyone has to eat."
While restaurants and resorts have suffered with the economy, Crean believes customer demand is picking up.
"When I go to industry meetings, fewer people are laid off, and it’s starting to be easier to place our graduates again," she said.
Gwinnett Tech accepts 40 culinary students each spring and fall for the two-year degree program. Applicants must submit a resume, personal profile, two letters of reference and sit for an interview.
"We’re looking for someone with passion, and [who] understands the realities of the industry," Crean said.
Her students come in all ages, from recent high school graduates to midcareer changers.
"Some people who have been laid off during the recession have seen this as an opportunity to go back to school and do what they always wanted to do," she said.
Enrolling in the prep cook certificate program is a good way to find out if a culinary career is really for you.
Classes are held two days a week, and most students work part time while going to school. Students are required to complete a minimum of 320 hours in an internship to become a certified culinarian.
"We encourage our students to work to gain as much experience as possible. Some students are already working in the food industry and are taking our courses to gain the education needed to be promoted," Crean said.
Students take classes and labs that teach them cooking and baking principles, American and contemporary cuisine, as well as courses in the business and professional side of the industry, such as food service purchasing and banquet preparation and presentation.
"Few people will open a restaurant right out of school, but they need to learn skills for the front and back end of the restaurant business," Crean said.
Most graduates find jobs as line cooks or in beginning management in restaurants, hotels and resorts, making about $21,000 to $35,000 a year.
"Within a year, most have moved up to at least kitchen manager position," she said. "Pay isn’t everything when you’re happy and can’t imagine doing anything else."
Gwinnett Tech is one of seven Georgia technical colleges to offer a nationally accredited culinary arts program.
For information, go to www.gwinnetttech.edu or call 678-226-6625 or 678-226-6641. You can e-mail Crean at kcrean@gwinnetttech.edu.
The college is accepting applications for fall. Other nearby programs include Atlanta, Athens, Chattahoochee, Georgia Northwestern and Griffin technical colleges.
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