Video by NCK Tech
By JAMES BELL
Hays Post
The need to find qualified workers in the restaurant industry is a pervasive problem, especially in northwest Kansas, but Philip Kuhn, chairman of the culinary arts program at NCK Tech, hopes to change that with a recent move and expansion of the program in Hays.
“The program actually has been in Beloit for years now,” Kuhn said. “Last year, they contacted me looking to move it to Hays.”
The program had been working in the kitchen facilities in the Rose Garden Banquet Hall, 2530 E. Eighth, but a consolidation of that business from a separate facility in the Hadley Center, 205 E. Seventh, by the Rose Garden owners opened kitchen space in the Hadley Center – giving the NCK program opportunities for expansion.
“We kind of swapped kitchens this year,” Kuhn said. “When it was all said and done, we needed a bigger kitchen.”
The move was precipitated by an increase in students in the program.
“I started out with a class of seven students last year,” he said.
This year, the program has 16 students and Kuhn wants to see the program grow even bigger.
“I’m hoping to even go up to 24 students next year,” he said.
While the move didn’t happen overnight, the addition of signage to the Hadley Building signified the completion of the move into the space.
“Three weeks ago, we got most of the signage changed out, so we’re all moved in and I’m teaching out of there this year,” Kuhn said.
The program will allow more students to enroll and work toward a career in food service.
“What we’re trying to do (is) educate the students into the idea of food service, whether it be quick cooking, line cooking, there’s a lot of different aspects to the food service industry that people don’t realize,” Kuhn said. “With that education … comes a higher quality of product.”
Kuhn is hopeful that expanded education in the field will bolster food service in the area.
“I’m hoping that within a few years you can see that expand into restaurants and you’ll see a higher quality product come out in some of these restaurants,” he said.
The program offerings are not be related to a specific area of food service, giving students flexibility and incorporating many areas of the restaurant industry.
“I always ask students when they first come in, ‘What do you want to do with this?’ ” Kuhn said, a question he repeats halfway through the semester to ensure students are getting from the program what they need.
“The possibilities are really endless,” he said. “There’s nutrition, there’s line cooking, there’s banquet cooking, you can go on and manage a restaurant.”
Students could also work as a food distributor or in the hospitality industry in a hotel, casino or on a cruise ship.
Students from the program also leave Serv-Safe certified, a nationally recognized food safety handling certification.
“That alone gets some of the students in to the door a lot easier,” Kuhn said. “It’s a neat program, and it’s fairly new to this community. Hopefully, we just keep working and get the education out there and see more and more success in our restaurant industry here.”
For more on the program, click HERE.